It may seem intimidating to install an irrigation system, but with a few tips and the essential equipment you will find that it’s not so daunting after all.

The first step is to decide on which areas of your garden you want to have irrigation. Draw a simple plan of your garden, measuring all areas and including tap locations, fences, lawns, and pathways in your plan.

Next, you'll need to test the flow rate of your water. This will tell you how many drippers you will need. All you need is a 9L bucket and a stopwatch. Place the bucket under your tap, turn it on full blast and start the stopwatch. Time how long it takes for the bucket to fill up. To calculate the litres per minute, divide 60 (1 minute) by the number of seconds it took to fill the bucket, then multiply that by 9 (the number of litres in the bucket).

Now, it’s time to decide which type of drippers you need. There are various drippers and sprinkler heads that can dispense different amounts of water per hour. Work out how much tubing you'll need to cover the area and get creative with how you want to run the tubing. There is a joiner to help you run the tubing in any direction that you like to get water to all your plants.

Avoid using sprinklers that spray water directly onto the plants, as this will help prevent fungal problems. For hedge rows, use a roll of coil dripper hose and peg it onto the ground. For lawns, a pop-up watering system is best, as they can cover a large area.

Make sure your tap fittings are in good condition, and get a timer that can be programmed to start the irrigation at any day or time you like. If you need help choosing the right product, visit your nearest Kings store and talk to one of our friendly team of experts.