What kind/type of irrigation do you use and why?

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

I had been using a sprinkler; it's a waste of water, overhead watering causes too many issues with plant health. I had used soaker hoses in the past, but they rot, difficult to tie in different raised beds. I drew up my garden, planned a drip-tape system using supplies from Dripworks. Very happy, best thing I did for my garden last year.

Here is my raised bed garden, it is 20 x 40, not cleaned up yet:


Here is the water coming into the garden. One line goes straight across the front of the garden, there are three lines coming off of that - one serves each side bed, one serves the raised beds in the middle:


Here is one line going over to a side bed:


Above, you can see the 't' for the line going to the raised beds. Here is how that line goes up and into each box.


Once it warms up here, new clamps will go on so the lines are neater, better attached to each box. I use two lines in most of the center boxes, but have 3 lines for the first large box, one for the small front box which is herbs. The side beds have one line each. With this set up, I can easily control the amount of water to each bed, each line, if I have different watering requirements for each area. I used easy-loc fittings for everything and bought end caps for the end of every line which was more expensive than the cheaper fold over fittings to end the lines, but this way I can flush any line I want.

I grow shallots and garlic in each of the long side beds, tomatoes will go in one long side bed behind the garlic, eggplant on each end. All sorts of squash will go in behind the garlic of the other long bed. When the squash and tomatoes get larger and need more space, the garlic is ready for harvest. after the tomatoes and squash get pulled at the end of the season, shallots and garlic go back in for the following year. The center beds have various lettuce on each end which I can grow all summer since the lettuce will get shaded by the plants in the rest of each bed as the season goes on and gets hotter. The rest of the boxes hold beets, broccoli, beans, carrots, cucumbers, etc. The small box in the front which is 1 x 6 is where I grow herbs. I was able to bottle 20 pints of beets from the 3/4 area of a 4x6 box last year. I feed our family of 5 with my garden and am able to share with neighbors.

I did not pull up the tape this past winter. Figured I would leave it down and see how long the tape lasts when left in place year round.