Drip Irrigation in the Forest Garden:

Water is a precious resource in the Forest Garden. Drip irrigation allows farmers to use less water more efficiently. As a result of that slow, constant drip, far less water is lost due to evaporation. It has been estimated that about 70% of water ends up in the soil when using traditional irrigation methods whereas 90% of the water ends up in the soil when applying drip irrigation as the water is fed directly to the plant. A drip irrigation system can reduce water needs by half when implemented correctly and can operate off of a well or rainwater catchment. Trees for the Future does not supply Forest Garden farmers with drip irrigation, however many farmers in arid regions choose to purchase small drip irrigation systems through the initial sales of their Forest Garden produce, allowing them to invest in their farm and increase potential success of vegetable production for the future.