Landscape Irrigation Systems

Abstract

As with turf irrigation, the goal of landscape irrigation is aesthetic. Plants (trees, shrubs, groundcover, and flowers) can be irrigated to just survive or to thrive, to maintain plant biomass or to have vegetative growth. Research on landscape plant water requirements has been limited, and many systems are not adjusted to match seasonal changes or changes in plant canopy area. The largest water user in many cities is irrigation so improved irrigation management is critically important in water stressed regions. Although traditional landscape drip irrigation systems have proven to be unreliable, new systems are more reliable: multiport emitters mounted on PVC pipe, inline drip irrigation tubing, and bubbler irrigation systems. Another key to successful system performance is the proper design and installation of the control zone. The typical control zone has a ball valve, solenoid valve, filter, and pressure regulator installed in a valve box. This chapter focuses on the installation methods and components in landscape irrigation systems.