Drip Irrigation Line Care
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
March
- General care: Check that drippers do not rest against the trunk and that they wet the active root zone. As trees and shrubs grow, move drippers outward from the trunk toward the edge of the canopy (drip line). Do not allow water to pool continuously at a single point. Skip this if the drippers are evenly distributed across the active root zone and not in contact with the trunk.
April
- General care: Run the line and watch every emitter. Mark the points that deliver no water, deliver unevenly or leak at the connection; check the tubing for kinks and the surface for unusual wet areas. Skip if: the line has been completely shut down and drained for the season. Leave the system depressurized and check and clean the filter according to the manufacturer's instructions. Open the line ends in a controlled way to flush out accumulated sediment until the water runs clear; close the caps and check for leaks again. Skip if: the system is under pressure or opening the line end is not safe. Check that the emitters are not pressed against the trunk and that they wet the active root zone. As trees and shrubs grow, move the emitters out from the trunk toward the canopy drip line; do not let water pool continuously at a single point. Skip if: the emitters are evenly distributed over the active root zone and do not touch the trunk.
May
- General care: Run the line and watch every emitter. Mark the points that deliver no water, deliver unevenly or leak at the connection; check the tubing for kinks and the surface for unusual wet areas. Skip if: the line has been completely shut down and drained for the season.
June
- General care: Run the line and watch every emitter. Mark the points that deliver no water, deliver unevenly or leak at the connection; check the tubing for kinks and the surface for unusual wet areas. Skip if: the line has been completely shut down and drained for the season. Leave the system depressurized and check and clean the filter according to the manufacturer's instructions. Open the line ends in a controlled way to flush out accumulated sediment until the water runs clear; close the caps and check for leaks again. Skip if: the system is under pressure or opening the line end is not safe.
July
- General care: Run the line and watch every emitter. Mark the points that deliver no water, deliver unevenly or leak at the connection; check the tubing for kinks and the surface for unusual wet areas. Skip if: the line has been completely shut down and drained for the season.
August
- General care: Run the line and watch every emitter. Mark the points that deliver no water, deliver unevenly or leak at the connection; check the tubing for kinks and the surface for unusual wet areas. Skip if: the line has been completely shut down and drained for the season. Leave the system depressurized and check and clean the filter according to the manufacturer's instructions. Open the line ends in a controlled way to flush out accumulated sediment until the water runs clear; close the caps and check for leaks again. Skip if: the system is under pressure or opening the line end is not safe.
September
- General care: Run the line and watch every emitter. Mark the points that deliver no water, deliver unevenly or leak at the connection; check the tubing for kinks and the surface for unusual wet areas. Skip if: the line has been completely shut down and drained for the season. Check that the emitters are not pressed against the trunk and that they wet the active root zone. As trees and shrubs grow, move the emitters out from the trunk toward the canopy drip line; do not let water pool continuously at a single point. Skip if: the emitters are evenly distributed over the active root zone and do not touch the trunk.
October
- General care: Run the line and watch every emitter. Mark the points that deliver no water, deliver unevenly or leak at the connection; check the tubing for kinks and the surface for unusual wet areas. Skip if: the line has been completely shut down and drained for the season. Leave the system depressurized and check and clean the filter according to the manufacturer's instructions. Open the line ends in a controlled way to flush out accumulated sediment until the water runs clear; close the caps and check for leaks again. Skip if: the system is under pressure or opening the line end is not safe. Check that the emitters are not pressed against the trunk and that they wet the active root zone. As trees and shrubs grow, move the emitters out from the trunk toward the canopy drip line; do not let water pool continuously at a single point. Skip if: the emitters are evenly distributed over the active root zone and do not touch the trunk.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
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