Irrigation buying guide
Let your plants flourish with a drip irrigation system
If you’re not already using a drip irrigation system in your garden, then believe us when we say, today is the day to start. Installing an irrigation system will save you money, effort, and heaps of time. And with all that extra time, you can give the neglected areas of your garden the attention and TLC it deserves.
With a drip irrigation system, you will have total peace of mind that your plants are healthy, happy, and continuously watered. On top of that, it reduces the growth of weeds, and your crops will be less likely to get any unwanted diseases.
Drip irrigation delivers water at a much slower and more gradual rate than a normal watering system, enabling you to supply water straight to the roots of your plants and vegetables. It can be used on most areas of your garden, including borders and flowerbeds, veg patches, greenhouses and container plants as well as hanging baskets.
Now you’ve made up your mind, where to start? Fortunately for you, we have everything you need to create your own tailor-made, water system to all parts of your garden. From individual products through to irrigation kits - save time and water so that your plants can flourish freely.
The starting point and the "brain" of the drip irrigation system is the water timer, which is connected to the tap and allows you to automatically set the watering time and frequency of daily irrigation.
From the water timer, the water flows through a flexible main tube and onto the smaller feeding tubes to reach the individual plants or pots.
The drippers distribute water directly to the plants, drop by drop. The drippers can be connected to the feeding hoses or directly onto the main tube and can be fixed or adjustable, with different water flow rates to suit your plant’s individual requirements.
To help you with which irrigation products to choose, we give an overview of the different types of products and kits later in this article.
When is the best time to water?
The best time is in the morning and evening, particularly during the summer. Watering in the evening has the extra advantage of keeping the soil moist for longer, because there’s no risk of evaporation by the sun.
Watering should be avoided during the hottest hours of the day, when the shock caused by the low temperature of the water can adversely affect plant health. You’ll also waste water, as it will evaporate before it reaches the plant roots.
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Takes the burden of watering away meaning you have more time to do other things.
- Automatic drip irrigation, set up with a timer, keeps your garden healthy during dry weather or whilst you are away.
- Regular controlled watering produces stronger, happier, more vibrant plants, making your garden look great with less work.
- Drip irrigation systems deliver controlled watering directly to the roots
- Drip irrigation can get water directly to hard to reach areas of the garden and, with the right water pressure, can cope with sloped areas or water hanging baskets.
- By only watering where you need it, a good drip irrigation system can reduce plant disease caused by overwatering, as well as water waste due to evaporation.
Potted plants
On the patio or balcony, potted plants often require the most amount of watering. Drip irrigation provides a great solution to the very different watering demands of these plants.
Vegetable gardens and greenhouses
In vegetable gardens and greenhouses, different plants demand different types of irrigation. Tomatoes, for example, can be irrigated directly and regularly by drippers, which helps to keep leaves dry and reduce the risk of fungus on the leaves. Lettuce and recently seeded ground however requires watering from above by micro-sprinklers fitted to support stakes, an arrangement designed to deliver a fine rain-like spray over a larger area.
Flowerbeds and lawns
Drip and micro-sprinkler systems offer a wide range of solutions to meet the requirements of all plant types and garden areas. For flowers, plants and shrubs, 90°, 180° and 360° micro-sprinklers are recommended, as are adjustable flow and self-regulating drippers, all designed to save water, because it is directed straight to the plant roots.
Strip micro-sprinklers are best for long, narrow areas, such as borders along a fence or raised beds. If you have small areas or plants with delicate flowers, use micro-sprinklers, for a fine, natural rain-like effect. Larger areas with flowerbeds or lawn sections can be configured using rotary 360° micro-sprinklers.
All sprinklers can be installed on robust support stakes and the sprinkling height can be adjusted to suit the plant height.
Houseplants
Simple automatic drip irrigation solutions are also available for your indoor plants and our systems do not require any connections to the mains or a tap. Instead, plastic bottles filled with water are used as a reservoir. A dripper spike is added along with your choice of nozzle (rated at either 10cl or 15cl per day), allowing you to adjust the water release as required.
Water butts provide you with a free reserve of rainwater for your garden. With or without a water butt irrigation kit, every garden should have a water butt. To find out how to install one, check out our step-by-step guide.
Winter care and maintenance
During the winter months we recommend stowing the components of your watering system indoors to protect them from frost and harsh weather conditions. The hose should be rewound tidily and emptied of water.
Accessories such as nozzles and sprinklers should be disconnected from the hose and stowed indoors. If using a timer, remove it from the tap and store it in a safe place indoors and remove the battery: when the fine weather returns fit a new battery.
When summer is over, remove the drippers and wash them in running water so they are ready for use the following spring. This is also the perfect time to make any changes to your system or extend it as necessary.
Timers
A timer will automatically control your watering needs at set times, even when you are away at work or on vacation. The timer attaches to the water supply end of your irrigation system.
Pressure reducer for high mains water pressure
A drip irrigation system (as the name suggests) only needs a very low pressure to operate, and the pressure reducer ensures this is consistent.
If you notice some leaks or that the drippers, even if regulated at low flow, distribute water not by drops but with a continuous flow, you simply install a pressure reducer onto the tap.
Main tubes (13mm) and connectors
The main tube (or hose) and feeding tubes make up the backbone of the entire system. Available in 25m or 50m lengths, the flexible main tube can be cut to size or extended to suit your requirements.
Main tube connectors are used to extend and change the direction of the tubes. Connect two tubes together with a 2-way coupling or L connector, or three tubes with a T connector (shown).
Feeding tubes (4mm) and connectors
The feeding tubes branch off the main supply tube and supplies the in-line and end-of-line drippers and sprinklers. The flexible feeding tubes are available in 20m lengths and can also be cut to the desired length.
Similar to the main tube connectors, smaller feeding tube connectors are used to extend and change the direction of the feeding tubes.
Drippers, shrubblers and micro-sprinklers
Drippers drip water directly to the soil around the roots of your plants. The drippers are adjustable, so that the amount of water can be set according to the plants requirements and the soil type (for example, sandy soils will need more water than a clay soil).
For localised irrigation at the base of larger plants, use a shrubbler. Adjustable flow rates allow 0 to 40 litres per hour. The stake-mounted dripper can be firmly mounted into the soil.
Micro-sprinklers spray fine jets of water over a larger area. For the best results, position 90° sprinklers in the corners, the 180° sprinklers along the perimeter of the garden or the house, and the 360° sprinklers in open spaces.
Hose hole punch and spanner
The hole punch and spanner is designed to make holes of the correct diameter for a perfectly water-tight connection between the main tube and feeding tubes. The same tool is also used for tightening the micro-sprinklers. If buying a kit, check it’s contents list as this tool is supplied with most kits, but not all.
Rain sensor
The rain sensor avoids unnecessary wastage of water by turning sprinklers off when it has been raining. When the internal flow reaches a level of 5mm of rain per square metre, the system shuts down. Your programmed watering automatically resumes when the water in the sensor evaporates.
Just remember to install the rain sensor in a position that is exposed to rainfall but out of reach of any sprinkler jets!
Support stakes
Hose support stakes anchor and raise the main hose or feeding tubes to stop movement and protect plants from the hose. These stakes are available in two sizes, depending on the hose being used.
Micro-sprinkler support stakes (shown) raise the sprinklers above ground level to extend the watering range.
End stoppers and hole plugs
End stoppers stop the water at the end of the main supply tube. Hole plugs can be used for either sealing the holes on the main tube or capping the ends of the 4mm feeding tubes.
Control valves
Control valves, or shut-off valves, are designed to control the water flow at each main tube and feeding tube.
Threaded tap connector
For direct connection of 13mm main tubes or 4mm feeding tubes to taps with 3/4” (20-27mm) thread.
Drip irrigation kits
If you’re not sure exactly what you need, take a look at our irrigation kits. The kits have everything you need to create a drip irrigation system, in one ready-to-use kit.
Just choose the best kit for your requirements and, should you need to, each kit can be expanded with additional components in the future.
Here’s a summary of our kits, what they are ideal for and what’s in each box:
Claber Flower pots starter kit (10 to 20 pots)
This starter kit is an ideal entry-level kit for small gardens and terraces. The kit comes with everything you need to water up to 20 pots or plants quickly and easily.
What’s in the kit?
- 20 metre main tube
- Tap adapter and pressure regulator
- 20 adjustable drippers
- 20 pipe stakes
- 5 micro T-connectors
- 3 flow controls
- 10 end stoppers
Claber Terraces starter kit with timer (20 to 40 pots)
Ready-to-use kit to water plants on your patio or flowerbeds, adjusting the flow according to the different requirements. This kit includes a timer and all the components for setting up an irrigation system to water up to xx pots or plants.
What’s in the kit?
- Timer and automatic coupling
- 15 metre main tube and 20 metre feeding tube
- Hole puncher
- 3 L-joints
- 1 end stopper
- 35 pipe stakes
- 35 micro T-connectors
- 10 hole plugs
- 35 adjustable drippers
Claber Planted areas kit (40 to 60 plants)
This ready-to-use kit is the best solution for watering your vegetable garden, adjusting the flow and adapting it to the different plants needs. This kit contains all the components for setting up 6 irrigation zones and watering up to 60 plants.
What’s in the kit?
- 20 metre main tube
- Automatic coupling
- Hole puncher
- Tap adapter
- 6 shut-off valves
- 35 pipe stakes
- 11 T-connectors
- 7 L-connectors
- 12 end plugs
- 10 hole plugs
- 20 adjustable shrubblers
- 40 adjustable end line drippers
Claber Drip irrigation kit for water butt
Want to set up a drip irrigation system without a tap? Now you can with the Claber drip irrigation kit for water butts; a solar powered timer with an integrated pump that draws water directly from a water butt.
Up to 54 different irrigation programmes can be set using two simple dials. This kit includes all the components needed to water up to 20 pots (water butt not included).
What’s in the kit?
- 1 solar powered timer / pump
- 1 anti-siphon flow blocking valve
- Suction filter
- 20 self-regulating drippers
- 20 metre feeding tube
- 20 pipe stakes
- 6 x 3-way (T) couplings
- 6 hole plugs
- Bracket with screws and plugs for wall-mounting