The Best Drip Irrigation Kits, and How to Install One

Drip irrigation puts water right at the roots, a little at a time, instead of spraying it over leaves and paths. Less water evaporates or runs off, leaves stay dry so fungal diseases have a harder time, and with a timer the garden waters itself. For vegetable beds, containers and new plantings, it is one of the best upgrades a gardener can make.

A starter kit is the easiest way in: it bundles the tubing, emitters, connectors and stakes in the right sizes. Below are our picks for raised beds, rows and container gardens, plus a soaker hose and a timer, followed by how to plan and install a system.

Drip kit, soaker hose or both?

• Drip kits use a 1/2-inch main line with emitters or 1/4-inch microtubing branching to each plant. You control exactly where water goes and how much, which suits containers, shrubs and widely spaced plants.
• Soaker hoses weep water along their whole length. They are the quickest way to water a straight row or a closely planted bed and need no planning, but water less evenly on long runs or slopes.
• Drip line with built-in emitters (emitters every 6 to 12 inches) is the middle ground for vegetable rows and raised beds.

Many gardens end up using all three. Our overview of irrigation systems compares drip with sprinklers and other methods.

What a kit should include

At the faucet, a good system needs a backflow preventer (to keep garden water out of your house supply), a filter (drip emitters clog easily) and a pressure regulator, because household pressure is far higher than drip tubing is made for. Some kits include all three; if yours doesn’t, buy them separately. Then: main line tubing, emitters or microtubing, barbed connectors and tees, stakes, end caps or figure-8 closures, and a hole punch.

How to install a drip system

1. Sketch the layout. Draw your beds, mark each plant or row, and plan where the main line runs.
2. Assemble the head. At the faucet or a hose, connect the timer (if using), backflow preventer, filter and pressure regulator, then the main line.
3. Lay the main line. Run it along the beds and pin it down with stakes. Warm tubing in the sun first so it uncoils and lies flat.
4. Punch and plug. Punch holes where you need water and insert emitters, or connect 1/4-inch microtubing to reach individual plants and containers.
5. Close the ends. Fit end caps or fold the tubing into a figure-8 closure.
6. Flush and test. Run water with the ends open to flush debris, close them, then check every emitter is dripping and fix any leaks.
7. Mulch and monitor. Mulch over the tubing to slow evaporation, and check the system every week or two for clogs, chewed lines or popped fittings.

Timers and watering times

A hose timer turns drip into hands-off watering. Drip runs much longer than a sprinkler because it delivers water slowly; start with 30 to 60 minutes a few times a week, then dig down a few inches near a plant after watering to check the soil is moist through the root zone. Water in the early morning, and adjust for rain and heat. Pair drip with rainwater harvesting and you cut tap water further, though rain barrels need a low-pressure drip setup.

Frequently asked questions