Drip Irrigation Guide for Tucson, Arizona
Drip irrigation is an important water conservation strategy in Tucson, AZ and is widely being used for watering landscapes and gardens in southern Arizona. To be efficient, irrigation systems need to be used properly. The following guidelines are for Tucson, but may be used with residential and commercial drip irrigation systems in southern Arizona.
General Drip Irrigation Guidelines
|
| Season |
Plant Type |
Frequency |
Watering Time |
| May 1 – September 30 |
Desert adapted Plants |
3 times per week |
2 hours |
| High water use Plants |
3 times per week |
2½ hours |
| October 1 – April 30 |
Desert adapted Plants |
2 times per week |
1½ hours |
| High water use Plants |
2 times per week |
2 hours |
| These general guidelines are for established plants in Tucson, AZ. Watering frequency may be modified depending on climate conditions, plant type and desired growth rate. |
Tucson Drip irrigation systems should occasionally be run for longer periods to flush salts out of the root zone. To prevent salt buildup, a common practice is to irrigate twice the normal watering time, once or twice per year. Maximum drip irrigation times are based on soil type, root depth and emitter flow rate.
Maximum Drip Irrigation Times
|
| Maximum Drip Irrigation is done Once or Twice a Year to Flush the Root Zone |
| Depth |
Emitter
Flow Rate |
Soil Type — Watering Time (Loam and Clay Loam in Tucson, AZ) |
| Sandy |
Sandy loam |
Loam |
Clay Loam |
Silty Clay |
Clay |
1 Foot
Ground Cover
Small Shrubs |
1 gph |
1.4 hrs |
2.3 hrs |
3.8 hrs |
5.1 hrs |
10.3 hrs |
7.2 hrs |
| 2 gph |
1.1 hrs |
1.9 hrs |
3.1 hrs |
4.2 hrs |
8.5 hrs |
5.9 hrs |
| 4 gph |
0.9 hrs |
1.5 hrs |
2.6 hrs |
3.5 hrs |
7.0 hrs |
4.8 hrs |
2 Feet
Shrubs
Small Trees |
1 gph |
4.2 hrs |
6.8 hrs |
11.5 hrs |
15.4 hrs |
31.1 hrs |
21.6 hrs |
| 2 gph |
3.4 hrs |
5.6 hrs |
9.5 hrs |
12.6 hrs |
25.5 hrs |
17.7 hrs |
| 4 gph |
2.8 hrs |
4.6 hrs |
7.8 hrs |
10.4 hrs |
20.9 hrs |
14.5 hrs |
3 Feet
Trees |
1 gph |
7.9 hrs |
13.0 hrs |
22.0 hrs |
29.3 hrs |
59.1 hrs |
41.0 hrs |
| 2 gph |
6.5 hrs |
10.7 hrs |
18.0 hrs |
24.1 hrs |
48.5 hrs |
33.7 hrs |
| 4 gph |
5.3 hrs |
8.7 hrs |
14.8 hrs |
19.7 hrs |
39.8 hrs |
27.6 hrs |
Maximum Drip Irrigation Times are based on the volume of soil that can be saturated from 60% available moisture content. These maximum irrigation times should only be used as a guideline to flush salts out of the root zone once or twice a year.
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