Ten tips to install a garden irrigation system

Key overview: Tips to install a garden irrigation system

• Plan your irrigation and get allowance for the pipes in first, before you start building your house.
• Measure up the irrigation area. Then take it to a supplier or the Bunnings Landscape Specialists team to help you with the amount of supplies you need.
• Get a professional to measure the water flow rate and pressure.
• It pays dividends to buy quality hoses, sprinklers and fixtures.
• Put down quality soil in your beds.
• Think about ‘zoning’ and using different types of irrigation systems for lawn and garden.
• Consider using drought-tolerant turf so most water goes to the beds.
• Installing a drip water irrigation system is ideal for garden beds.
• Build versatility in the irrigation infrastructure so it allows for future growth.
• Upskill yourself along the way.

The importance of good irrigation

Getting water to plants efficiently is one of the most important aspects of any garden – big or small. At Little Lyndoch Flower Farm in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, Rob Ryan and his partner, Katie Arena, grow flowers for weddings, events and their local community, which means good irrigation is the lifeblood of the whole operation.

We asked Rob what he’s learned about effective water planning on the farm, and got expert advice from Jared Philp of Vision Outdoor Services, who has helped with irrigation and landscaping work on the farm. They share 10 practical tips for getting it right.

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves and a mask, for example) when required on the job. Always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

1. Why it pays to plan ahead before you start your build

The single biggest mistake people make with irrigation is failing to plan ahead and make allowance for pipes to be laid.

“A lot of people, when they build a new house, don’t plan their irrigation system properly so they’ll get the house up, concrete around it and then find they don’t have any way of getting piping from the tap at the side of the house out to the gardens,” Jared says. “What happens next is often cutting up concrete and a lot of digging, so make sure you plan and get those pipes in first. It’ll save a lot of time, effort and money.”

Tip: Prior to excavating, contact Dial Before You Dig to check the location of underground pipes, cables and utilities and avoid damaging them.

2. How to measure your irrigation area

Whether you’re a seasoned landscaper or a first-timer, measuring up the area first pays dividends. Rob did exactly this at Little Lyndoch.

“I try to write it down on an actual map, plan it out and see how much drip irrigation I need, how many fittings and clips,” he says.

Jared agrees, adding: “I still measure up the area that I’m going to irrigate and then I’ll take it to a supplier or the Bunnings Landscape Specialists team to check I have everything I need. They can look at the plan and tell you if you’re using enough because you don’t want to overdo it, but you certainly want to make sure you have the right amount as well.”

3. Check your water pressure first

Insufficient water pressure is a common trap. “You have to be sure the pressure flow from your tap is adequate – and don’t put a whole bunch of sprinklers in one zone, then find out they won’t reach the areas you need,” Jared says. “Before you start, talk to a professional and get them to measure the flow rate and pressure. It’s pretty easy – you can do a bucket test to get an idea of the flow rate. It’ll save time and effort from chucking sprinklers in that won’t have the right throw distances.”

4. How to make sure you use the right fixtures for your garden irrigation system

Cutting corners on fittings is a non-starter. “Buy the right hoses, sprinklers and fixtures that will do the job you want them to do and that will last,” Jared says. “Even little things like using stainless-steel clamps underground is a great investment. A lot of people just buy the normal plastic ratchet clamps, but the stainless-steel ones bite better and you’ll have fewer problems with them coming off. They’ll last longer, which is important when the pipes are buried.”

If you’re doing a big irrigation job, like at Little Lyndoch Flower Farm, Rob also says buying in bulk is a good idea. “I plan it out and see how many garden beds we have, and then work out how many fittings and clips we need.”

5. Why you need to build a quality soil bed

A good irrigation system starts with the right soil. Jared is clear on this: “Make sure you are using good soil when you’re putting down turf. You want something that is nutritious for the turf, and is easily turned over so you can plant in it and the water won’t just pool in it. Too much water is just as bad for some plants as low water, so you want to make sure the soil won’t be making things worse.”

At Little Lyndoch Flower Farm, when the team discovered tree roots were suffocating their plants, they pivoted to using raised garden beds instead – a smart soil solution.

6. How to create irrigation zones

Garden areas can have different water needs. Jared took a smart approach with the Little Lyndoch Flower Farm setup: “We used pop-up sprinklers with a low-density poly pipe, then I used a Bluetooth controller with the four-way manifold to create two zones for the gardens and two zones for the lawns that can all be controlled remotely.” Separating lawn and garden zones means each area gets exactly the water it needs.

7. Why drought-tolerant turf helps

When flowers are the priority, your lawn shouldn’t be drinking more water than its share. “We decided on the TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda turf for a few reasons. First of all, it’s a very low water consumption turf, very drought-tolerant, which is important because Rob and Katie want to get as much water into the flowers as they can instead of the lawn,” Jared explains. “The TifTuf doesn’t run as much as something like Kikuyu can, either, so it stays contained, which is another important consideration.”

8. The benefits of a drip water irrigation system for garden beds

For flower and vegetable beds, drip irrigation delivers water where it’s most needed. Rob runs 19mm poly pipe underneath the soil for his raised vegetable beds, teeing out to each bed with risers. “The next step is adding a grid of drip hoses at about 25mm spacing along the line. The advantage of that is it waters a whole area consistently because soil naturally, through capillary action, will pull water to a spot that is dry, so you end up watering the whole area consistently and that’s good for the seedlings,” Jared says.

9. How to build in versatility

A good irrigation system should work for you as the garden grows and changes. Jared factored this in at Little Lyndoch: “The flower bed areas were still being installed when we left, but in the garden we levelled things out and ran the pipes in so that once they’re complete, the irrigation infrastructure is already there,” he says. “This system has really good versatility because if you plant another tree or plant inside that zone, you know it’s going to get water.”

10. Self-education goes a long way

Rob had never used a power tool when he and Katie started the farm. “Everything is self-taught, so I taught myself irrigation as well,” he says. “It comes down to planning and prep work and I’ve done so much irrigation around here now.”

For those starting out, Jared recommends leaning on suppliers and hardware specialists like the Bunnings Landscape Specialists team, who are always on hand to check plans and make sure you’ve got everything you need before you start digging.

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