Another disadvantage of sprinkler irrigation occurs on windy days. Watering in as little as a five mile per hour wind will distribute the water unevenly over the soil surface and cause a great deal of evaporation. Perhaps the most efficient way to water the home landscape is with a properly designed and well-maintained drip irrigation system. Drip irrigation slowly applies water to soil. Water flows under low pressure through emitters laid alongside the plants.
Water applied by drip irrigation has little chance of waste through evaporation or runoff.
The water is applied directly to the plant's root zone. This also eliminates waste from applying water to unplanted or weedy areas. Overall irrigation requirements will vary according to plant species, soil type, rainfall, and temperature. Established, well adapted plants require less frequent watering than newly planted trees and shrubs. A minimum length of time to operate a drip irrigation system is three hours.