Water When and Where You Need It

Every year, usually sometime in August, I realize that drip irrigation is the way to go. It saves water, money, time and the heartache of watching your plants die a slow, agonizing death in the heat and humidity. Of course August is not the optimal time for putting in a drip irrigation system, because you’re just as hot and wilted as your plants. Now is a great time to start planning a drip system and Mia Amato, former gardening columnist for The San Francisco Examiner and author of The Garden Explored (Henry Holt & Co) and the recent Gardening on Mars (2007), walks you through what you’ll need and how to lay it all out. The new systems on the market snap together like a Lego set, so there’s no reason to be intimidated.

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