Drip Irrigation for Beds and Shrubs

Spray heads in flower beds wet the leaves, the walls and the sidewalk. Drip puts water right at the roots. We install new drip zones, convert spray zones to drip, and repair drip that has stopped working.

Call 469-902-9800

Brown drip tubing running through hardwood mulch in a foundation bed with boxwood and flowers, a drop of water at an emitter

Why drip works well here

Our clay soil takes water in slowly. Spray heads put it down fast, so much of it runs off before it soaks in. Drip lets water out a little at a time, right where the roots are, so it soaks in instead of running onto the sidewalk. Leaves stay drier, which helps plants avoid disease, and the brick and windows stay free of water spots.

A drip emitter on brown tubing releasing a drop of water onto mulch beside a pink-flowering lantana

Good places for drip

Foundation beds along the house
Shrub borders and hedges
Flower beds and seasonal color
Pots and planters on patios
Narrow side yards where spray would hit the house or the neighbor
Newly planted trees

Converting a spray zone to drip

If a zone waters only beds, it can often be converted to drip without new trenching. We cap the spray heads, add a filter and pressure regulator at the valve (drip needs lower pressure), and run drip line through the beds under the mulch. The zone then needs a longer run time on the controller, which we set for you.

Inside a valve box on a drip zone: a valve, a clear filter and a pressure regulator feeding brown drip tubing

Drip repair

Drip lines get cut by shovels when plants are added, chewed by animals, or clogged when the filter is skipped. We fix breaks, replace clogged emitters or line, clean filters and flush the zone.

Foundations

Dry clay shrinks, and that can affect foundations. Some homeowners use drip or soaker lines to keep foundation soil moisture more even through summer. If you want to do that, we can set up a separate zone so it can be run on its own schedule. For foundation questions, talk to a foundation professional.

A black soaker hose laid in damp mulch a short distance out from a brick house foundation, between shrubs

Questions people ask us

How long should drip run?

Much longer than spray, often 30 to 60 minutes, because it puts out a small amount of water. The right time depends on the plants, sun and season.

Does drip work with my current controller?

Yes. A drip zone is just another zone on the controller. It needs a filter and pressure regulator at the valve.

Will drip line show?

We run it under mulch so it is out of sight.

Worth reading before you call

Drip Irrigation for Flower Beds: When It Beats Spray HeadsWhy drip beats spray in Park Cities flower beds, what a drip zone needs, how the watering rules treat drip, and the mistakes we…
Watering Around Your Foundation on Clay SoilWhy clay soil around a slab shrinks and swells, how AgriLife suggests watering it with drip or soaker hose, and what the rules allow.

Sprinkler problem? Call and talk to a person.

Tell us what you are seeing: a wet spot, a dead zone, a geyser, a controller that will not turn on. We will tell you what it likely is and set a visit.