1. What is drip irrigation?
2. Why should I use drip irrigation?  
3. Where should I use drip irrigation?
4. How about those tight or awkwardly shaped areas that are difficult to water with conventional spray systems? 

5. Can I save money using drip irrigation vs. traditional spray sprinklers?

6. Where can I find out how to design, bid and install a Dripperlines  subsurface or on-surface systems?

7. What definitions are important to know?

8. What about different soil types?  Even clay?

9. Do plants have to be watered from "overhead" to wash off dirt and dust? 

10. Does water only move downward, pulled by gravity?

11. How can I tell the system is working?

12. When I install a UniTechline™ under turf, will I get green and brown stripes? 

13. Is "root intrusion" a problem?

14. What if someone damages or cuts through a section of Techline™ , UniTechline™ or TechNet™ tubing? Can I spot it right away and is it easy to fix?

1. What is drip irrigation?

Drip irrigation is the process of delivering precise amounts of water and nutrients directly to the plant's root zone, drop by drop, offering growers exact irrigation control and efficient use of limited water resources. 
Netafim™ PC (pressure compensated) Drippers & Dripperlines, are featuring continuously self-cleaning, pressure-compensating drippers, is placed subsurface or on-surface exactly where you want to irrigate. 

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2. Why should I use drip irrigation?  

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3. Where should I use drip irrigation? 

You'll be delighted with the fuller blooms and greater beauty of your annuals and perennials when watered with Netafim™ dripperline's.
Mature plants and shrubs grow fuller and healthier with dripperline's versus sprinkler watering.

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4. How about those tight or awkwardly shaped areas that are  difficult to water with conventional spray systems?
Netafim™ dripperline's solves the problem and avoids spraying your walls, window and fences.

Consistent watering with Netafim™ dripperline's helps establish and protect new shrub beds and planting areas.

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5. Can I save money using drip irrigation vs. traditional spray  sprinklers?

It is frequently more profitable to install a Netafim™ Techline, UniTchline™  or TechNet™ systems when you are dealing with long, narrow strips, awkwardly

shaped areas, or tree, shrub and bedding plant areas - both from a materials cost and labor standpoint. Plus, Techline™ , UniTchline or TechNet™  help minimize liability and vandalism and saves your customers' costs associated with continued maintenance and water usage.  A simple shrub bed installation is quick and easy, either buried 4" below the surface or beneath mulch UniTechline.

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6. Where can I find out how to design, bid and install a Dripperlines   subsurface or on-surface systems?

Netafim™ irrigation offers a comprehensive series of documents to help you design and install a Techline™, UniTechline™ or TechNet™  systems.
Design and installation training is also available through Netafim™ Distributors. To find the Distributor in your area please visit the Distributor locator.

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7. What definitions are important to know?
Capillary action:
The radial (outward and upward) movement of water through the soil that fills the spaces between particles with capillary moisture.

Capillary moisture:
The water held in pore spaces by the surface tension between the water and the soil particles. This is the primary source of water for plants and is also referred to as "available moisture".

Gravitational water:
Free water in the soil which moves downward due to gravity. After a soil has been saturated, the gravitational water percolates downwards, leaving the soil at field capacity.

Field capacity:
As much water as the soil can hold against the influence of gravity. If a soil is saturated by rainfall or irrigation and then allowed to drain freely for 24 hours, the soil is usually at field capacity.

Infiltration range:
The rate at which water enters the soil. This rate varies greatly, and may impose a limitation upon the design of an irrigation system since water application rates may result in runoff and erosion.

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8. What about different soil types?  Even clay? 
Subsurface irrigation works better in heavy clay or sand conditions than traditional sprinkler systems.
Even "heavy clay" and "sandy" soils are a mixture sand, silt and clay. Loam, which contains equal proportions of sand, silt and clay, is ideal.
However, plants can thrive in a very broad spectrum of soil textures when subsurface watering is applied at the proper rate, with appropriate spacing.
Different soils create typical wetting pattern shades as seen at right. Note the dramatic overlap ensuring total coverage throughout varying root zone depths.
Drip irrigation works great in clay soils.

What most people regard as "heavy clay" and "sandy" soils are actually mixtures of sand, silt and clay which will allow for adequate water movement and retention between soil particles.

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9. Do plants have to be watered from "overhead" to wash off dirt and dust? 
A report issued by, the independent test lab C.I.T. (Center for Irrigation Technology), states that "  although the [subsurface] research plots are surrounded by fallow fields, dirty leaves have not been noted."

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10. Does water only move downward, pulled by gravity? 
When applied slowly (as in drip irrigation) water RADIATES outward from its source point, creating an overlapping wetting pattern beneath the ground. See the "wetted pattern" illustration" at right.

                    
When applied slowly to the soil at a single point, water moves through the soil in two ways:
1. Downward pulled by gravity.
2. Outward and upward, pulled by a capillary action.

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11. How can I tell the system is working? 
There are several ways to verify that your system is working, including:

1. Feel for moisture just below the surface of the soil directly above a dripper.
2. Run micro tubing to the surface at the end of a zone and use it as a point source dripper.
3. Install a flag indicator at the end of zone.
4. Monitor flow at the water meter.

Because water travels both upward and outward from the dripper, the soil will usually be damp at, or close to, the surface.

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1. Use Netafim™ UniTechline™ since it is the only subsurface irrigation product designed with a physical root barrier proven in most resistant to root intrusion in tests conducted around the world.
2. Apply a little water every day. If you run your Techline™ , UniTechline™ or TechNet™ systems for 5 minutes a day, it will help keep the drippers flushed and the soil moisture consistent to that the roots do not seek additional water.
3. For the ULTIMATE PROTECTION against root intrusion: use the new Netafim™ Techfilter, with replaceable cartridges.

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14. What if someone damages or cuts through a section of Techline™ , UniTechline™ or TechNet™ tubing? Can I spot it right away and is it easy to fix?

If the tubing is accidentally severed, it is easy to tell because a puddle forms directly overhead. To repair a length of tubing you would simply cut out that section and attach a new section with barbed fittings. Other than a knife, no tools or glue are needed.

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