How To Install An Automatic Drip Irrigation System

An automatic drip irrigation system in your garden can save you time from manually watering your plants. It is easy to install.

Here is an easy DIY project that can be done in a few hours over the weekend. It’s a game changer!

The automatic drip irrigation system saves me time. It eliminates the worry of plants being worried when away for the weekend, business trips or vacation.

I grew up on a 88 acre farm where our family grew flowers. My father’s parents own a florist and he grew up in the business. The greenhouses all had automatic drip irrigation systems set to a timer. My parents no longer have big commercial style greenhouses. They do have there flower beds (to many to count) set to automatic drip irrigation systems.

My father is always very helpful in teaching me over the years, how to do projects without having to hire someone. He offered to come down and help me get the system set-up.

How to install an automatic drip irrigation system in any garden

Supplies:

2 -SoakerPRO™ 50 ft. Rubber Drip Irrigation Soaker Hose
Adjustable Dripper w/Coupler (1 package of 5)
Skinny Vinyl Black Hose (use to connect to the dripper and coupler)
Automatic Outdoor Timer (made by Orbit)
Irrigation Fittings (connectors)
Two-Way Tee Adapter for the faucet (so that you can attach two hoses)
Black Electric Tape
Large Cutting Tool

There are kits available with many of the items listed above. My father purchased the items used for me. We did not use a kit for this particular project.

Step 1 Installing the Automatic Timer for the irrigation system

Installation of Outdoor Automatic Timer.jpeg

The first thing we did was to set-up the automatic outdoor timer. It was pretty easy to set-up to the time that I wanted the system to come on each day.

You can see, I have a two-way tee adapter attached to the faucet. It allows us to connect another hose to use for washing the car or other tasks around the house.

Step 2 Laying out the Rubber Drip Irrigation Soaker Hose

How to install an Automatic Drip Irrigation System 1.jpeg

Here is my wonderful father helping me layout rubber drip irrigation soaker hose. Honestly, I do not know what I would do without this man. He has so much knowledge on DIY projects and has taught me do tackle so many projects on my own or with his help. Can you believe this man is 77 years young? He is in better shape then his three children.

Here we laid the soaker hose in rows next to the plants. You can have a better idea in the next photo.

How to install an Automatic Drip Irrigation System 2.jpeg

You can see how the soaker hose was laid in rows near the plants.

step 3 attaching drip lines for the pots

This next step may seem complicated but it is really easy. If I can do this task, you would be able to as well.

You will need to connected the drip lines to most of the pots. I took photos to help you get a good visual to complete this step.

Here you will need to gently poke the the coupler into the soaker hose. I gently turned it side to side to work it into the house.

Once the coupler is in the soaker hose, use black electrical tape to secure it to the hose and avoid any small leaks.

Here is how it should look with finished installing the electrical tape.

Next, we used the skinny black hose to cut to the length needed for reaching the pot.

Now install the adjustable dripper to the end of the hose. It pushes easily into the top of the skinny hose.

You can turn it to adjust the amount of the drip flow to your pot.

We ran the hose up the side of the pot. You want to put it to the side or back where it is not visible to the front.

Here you can see I have it along the side draped inside.

Step 4 Extending the hose and capping the end

The end of the hose may look similar to the one shown above. You can connect another hose to it or cap it off. Here we are going to add more hose to do the final loop and then run it along the back on house into the herb garden.

You can see the end was cut so a tee connector can be used to connect additional hose length.

Next, you will need to attached the tee connector.

It’s just a matter of pushing the hose up through the tee connector. Now you can connect additional hoses to it which I did to run it to the back herb garden.

It should look like this when finished.

When you are finished, the end of the hose will need to capped off. Here is the end cap that is simply screwed on tight.

Step 5 Covering the hose

The final step would be to put some mulch over the hose. Sometimes you will need to dig a row (not deep) for the hose to lay flat. Then lightly cover with mulch to hide the hose. I have a few more plants to add into the garden. It is why my photo does not show the mulch over the hose.

By covering up the hose, it helps to protect it from the sun causing it to dry rot.