Drip irrigation calculator

How long to run drip irrigation, how many emitters per plant, and whether your zone or tubing can supply them all.

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Drip puts water at the roots, but run times are usually guesses. Enter what each plant needs and what your emitters deliver; this works out the run time and checks that the zone can supply it.

Tips

• Water deeply, less often. Infrequent, longer runs wet a deeper root zone than daily short ones, and deep roots handle heat better.
• Emitters belong at the edge of the roots, not against the trunk or stem. For trees and shrubs that means moving them outward as the plant grows.
• New plantings need more frequent water for their first season. Established native and low-water plants often need little or none outside drought.
• Check the filter and flush the lines each spring. Clogged emitters are the most common reason a drip zone stops working.