6 Best Row Cover Watering Systems For Dry Climates That Stop Evaporation
In dry climates, evaporation wastes water. Discover 6 watering systems that work under row covers to deliver moisture directly to the soil and roots.
Lifting the edge of a row cover on a hot afternoon feels like opening an oven, and you can practically see the moisture leaving the soil. In a dry climate, that evaporated water is a resource you simply can’t afford to lose. The key isn’t just to water your plants, but to get that water directly to the roots without giving the sun its share first.
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Watering Strategies for Dry Climate Row Covers
The whole point of watering under a row cover is to deliver moisture directly to the soil surface, bypassing the foliage and the fabric itself. Overhead watering with a sprinkler or a wand is a waste of time and water here. Most of it will land on the cover, evaporating before it ever reaches the ground, and what does get through can promote fungal diseases in the humid environment underneath.
The goal is always to get water into the root zone with minimal surface exposure. This means using a system that lies on the soil, under the cover. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are the only two categories that make sense. They release water slowly, allowing it to soak deep into the soil profile rather than pooling on the surface and evaporating away.
Choosing the right system depends entirely on your specific setup: the length of your rows, the slope of your land, and the types of crops you’re growing. A cheap soaker hose might be perfect for a small, level bed of lettuce, but it would be a disaster on a long, sloped row of tomatoes. Thinking through these factors before you buy will save you countless headaches and gallons of water.
Gilmour Weeper/Soaker Hose for Even Moisture
A soaker hose is the simplest entry into efficient irrigation. It’s essentially a porous hose that "weeps" water along its entire length. You lay it down your row, turn on the spigot, and the ground gets a slow, even soaking.
This system shines in its simplicity and low cost, making it ideal for smaller, straight, and relatively level garden beds. For a 15-foot row of carrots or bush beans under a low tunnel, a soaker hose is often all you need. There are no emitters to clog and no complex parts to assemble.
The main tradeoff is pressure sensitivity. A soaker hose will deliver more water at the beginning of the line than at the end, especially on runs over 50 feet. It also performs poorly on slopes, as water will pour out at the low end while the high end stays dry. It’s a fantastic tool for the right job, but a frustrating one when pushed beyond its limits.
Toro Aqua-Traxx Drip Tape System for Long Rows
When you move from small beds to long rows, drip tape is the most cost-effective solution. This is a thin-walled poly tubing with pre-installed emitters spaced at regular intervals—typically 6, 8, or 12 inches apart. You unroll it, connect it to your main line, and you have precise water delivery for rows up to several hundred feet long.
Drip tape is incredibly efficient because it places a small amount of water exactly where it needs to go, minimizing weed growth between plants and eliminating evaporation. Because it operates at very low pressure (around 10 PSI), you must use a pressure regulator and a filter to prevent it from bursting or clogging. This isn’t optional; it’s a requirement for the system to function.
The biggest downside is durability. Drip tape is thin and susceptible to damage from tools, pests, or even just kinking. It’s designed to be a highly effective, but often single-season, solution. For the hobby farmer with long, straight rows of corn or potatoes, the efficiency and low initial cost often outweigh the need for careful handling and eventual replacement.
Netafim PCJ Emitters for Sloped Garden Beds
Watering on a slope is a classic irrigation challenge. With a standard drip system, gravity pulls the water downhill, causing the plants at the bottom of the row to get flooded while the ones at the top remain thirsty. This is where pressure compensating (PC) emitters are non-negotiable.
Netafim’s PCJ emitters are a perfect example of this technology. Each emitter has a tiny, flexible diaphragm inside that regulates flow. This ensures that the first emitter on the line and the last one—whether it’s uphill or downhill—deliver the exact same amount of water, typically measured in gallons per hour (GPH). You simply punch these individual emitters into blank poly tubing exactly where you need them.
This precision comes at a higher cost per foot than drip tape or soaker hoses, but the results are undeniable. For terraced beds, hillside gardens, or any plot with a noticeable grade, a system built with PC emitters is the only way to guarantee every plant gets a consistent drink. Investing in PC emitters turns a frustrating, unevenly watered slope into a productive, uniformly irrigated plot.
Rain Bird Emitter Tubing for Precision Watering
Think of emitter tubing as the durable, long-term cousin of drip tape. It’s a thicker, more rigid poly tube with pressure-compensating emitters permanently embedded inside at fixed intervals (usually 12, 18, or 24 inches). It’s a professional-grade solution that’s perfectly accessible for the serious hobby farmer.
This system offers the best of both worlds: the precision of individual emitters and the simplicity of an all-in-one line. Because the emitters are built-in and pressure compensating, you get extremely uniform watering over long runs and varied terrain. The tubing’s thick walls resist kinking, UV degradation, and damage from garden tools, meaning you can expect it to last for many seasons.
The primary tradeoff is a lack of flexibility in emitter spacing. If your plants are 15 inches apart, you have to choose between 12-inch or 18-inch spacing and live with the slight mismatch. However, for crops with standard spacing like peppers, tomatoes, or squash, Rain Bird’s emitter tubing provides a reliable, "set it and forget it" system that delivers perfect results year after year.
DripWorks Garden Bed Kits for Custom Layouts
For anyone new to drip irrigation or dealing with non-standard garden layouts, starting with a kit is the smartest move. Companies like DripWorks assemble all the essential components you need: tubing, emitters, a filter, a pressure regulator, and all the little connectors and goof plugs. This removes the guesswork and ensures you have compatible parts.
The real power of these kits is the customization they enable. Most come with a roll of solid mainline tubing and a bag of individual emitters. Using a special punch tool, you place an emitter precisely where each plant is located. This is ideal for beds with mixed crops or irregular spacing, where a pre-set system like drip tape would be wasteful.
You can create loops around large plants like squash, place multiple emitters for a fruit tree, or run a single line for a dense row of beets. A kit provides a framework and all the necessary parts, but you retain total control over the final layout. It’s the perfect balance between guidance and flexibility.
Automating Your System with an Orbit B-hyve Timer
A perfect irrigation system is useless if you don’t run it consistently. Automation is the final piece of the puzzle, and a smart timer like the Orbit B-hyve transforms your watering from a daily chore into a hands-off, intelligent process.
A basic timer just turns the water on and off. A smart timer connects to Wi-Fi and pulls local weather data. It knows if it rained last night, if high winds are expected, or if a heatwave is coming. Based on this information, it automatically adjusts the watering schedule—a feature called "weather sense" or "smart watering." This saves a massive amount of water by preventing unnecessary irrigation cycles.
For a dry climate, this is a game-changer. You set your soil type, plant types, and sun exposure, and the timer builds a schedule optimized for deep watering and minimal runoff. You can leave for a weekend trip knowing your garden will be watered perfectly, not just blindly. It’s the single best upgrade you can make to any drip or soaker system.
Matching Your Watering System to Your Crops
There is no single "best" watering system; there is only the best system for your farm and your crops. The final decision should be a thoughtful blend of your garden’s physical characteristics and the needs of what you’re growing.
Start by assessing your layout. Are your rows long and straight, or are your beds small and custom-shaped? Is your land flat, or does it have a noticeable slope?
- Long, flat rows: Drip tape is your most economical and efficient choice.
- Small, level beds: A simple soaker hose will do the job perfectly.
- Sloped or uneven ground: You need pressure-compensating emitters, either individually punched or in pre-made tubing.
- Custom layouts with mixed plants: A kit that allows you to place your own emitters is ideal.
Then, consider your crops. Shallow-rooted plants like lettuce and spinach benefit from emitters spaced closely together to wet the entire surface. Deep-rooted crops like tomatoes or melons do better with fewer, higher-flow emitters that encourage deep root growth. By laying the right system under your row covers from the start, you create a closed loop of efficiency that conserves water, saves time, and produces a healthier, more resilient harvest.
Ultimately, mastering irrigation under row covers is about working smarter, not harder. By putting water exactly where the plants need it and nowhere else, you defeat evaporation and turn one of your most limited resources into your greatest asset. Choose the system that fits your land and your goals, and you’ll spend less time watering and more time harvesting.
