Drip Irrigation vs. Sprinklers—Which Is Best for Your Garden? Experts Explain

One of the most important aspects of lawn and garden maintenance is deciding how you’ll water everything. You can always go out there with a watering can or a hose, but you may want to look into different, more efficient methods. In particular, you'll have to choose whether to use a drip irrigation system or sprinklers.

Each has its own pros and cons. We spoke with experts to better understand how these systems work and which watering method is best for your particular garden. 

How Drip Irrigation Works

Drip irrigation is an efficient, low-pressure watering method that delivers water right to a plant’s root zone. Water is delivered either directly on the ground or just below it through a series of small tubes, filters, and pressure regulators. 

“It can be buried or installed at the surface or in mulch,” says Justin Wilson, owner of American Irrigation Repair. “Think of it like this: when you don’t want to just blast water everywhere, that’s where drip irrigation comes in.”

Drip irrigation systems are great for watering flower or vegetable garden beds, trees, and anywhere that needs targeted, controlled watering. “We’ve even used drip to help stabilize clay soils around foundations,” says Wilson. “It keeps the moisture consistent, which is key for preventing that foundation movement you sometimes see in older homes.”

Why Drip Irrigation Is So Efficient

Drip irrigation has a few key benefits.

Water Efficiency

This method provides a highly targeted water supply directly to your plants, making it highly efficient. When you use an irrigation system, you’re not spraying water through the air like a sprinkler, which can waste water through evaporation and wind loss.

“This targeted delivery greatly reduces evaporation, runoff, and wind drift losses, resulting in very high application efficiency—approaching 90 percent,” says Kelly Klop, professor and extension water conservation and turfgrass specialist at Utah State University. 

More Watering Control

Given that level of efficiency, you also have greater control over what areas of your lawn and garden get watered—and which don’t.

“Because you're not spraying broadly, you can better control where the water goes,” says Wilson. “With the right emitter layout, you can even reduce or eliminate watering areas where you don’t want growth, keeping weeds at bay.”

Drawbacks of Drip Irrigation

While drip irrigation systems can be highly efficient, they aren’t without challenges.

Complex Installation

You have to really commit to a drip irrigation system—they can be costly and complex to install in your landscaping, “requiring careful layout and pressure regulation,” says Klopp. Drip irrigation systems can cost anywhere between $300 on the low end to $4,000 on the high end. 

Clogged Emitters

The emitter on a drip irrigation system is a small device that slowly releases water from the system’s tubes into the soil. It helps control the flow of water, minimizing waste.

However, those emitters can run into issues. “They're susceptible to clogging from sediment, algae, or mineral buildup, necessitating filtration and ongoing maintenance,” says Klopp. 

Tubing Damage

The complex series of tubes required for irrigation is typically either buried right under a layer of mulch or is right on top of the soil. This placement makes them susceptible to interference.

“Tubing can be damaged by rodents, insects, or landscape equipment,” Klopp says. 

How Sprinklers Work

Sprinklers are typically hooked up to your home’s water line. Pressurized water then flows through the pipe and into the sprinkler head, where it’s forced out into the air and across your lawn or garden. 

They work best when you have a large amount of surface area to water at one time. They also work well in most soil conditions and with most plants, says Klopp, and can handle watering on uneven terrain. 

Benefits of Sprinklers

There are a few important benefits to using a sprinkler.

Large Amount of Coverage

Because of the way sprinklers spray water, they can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

“They’re outstanding when you need to water larger areas quickly; you often see them throwing those glorious streams of water,” Wilson says. “They throw water out over long distances, which saves on cost and makes the whole installation process simpler.”

Tougher Materials

If you opt to install a buried sprinkler system (as opposed to picking up an inexpensive one at the garden center), it’ll likely be made out of PVC or poly pipe, according to Wilson. These are very durable materials that are less prone to damage.

“They're buried deeper too, making them more robust and less likely to get knocked around by a mower or critters like mice, squirrels, or deer,” he says. 

Controller Connected

Some sprinkler systems can be connected to smart home controllers, making them even easier to manage and improving water efficiency. “They use local weather conditions to allow (or disallow) irrigation,” says Klopp.  

Drawbacks of Sprinklers

Sprinkler use comes with a couple of drawbacks, however.

Less Water Efficient

You can lose a lot of water when it’s being sprayed around from a sprinkler system. “Because they’re spraying water through the air, there’s more waste due to wind and evaporation,” says Wilson. “You’ll inevitably get some water hitting your sidewalks or driveways, which causes runoff, and can be wasteful.”

Plant Leaves Get Wet

Water from above can hit plant leaves, leaving them wet. Overly wet leaves are at risk of developing fungal diseases, says Klopp. 

Risk of Over or Underwatering

Because water delivery is not as targeted, some areas of your lawn or garden may receive too much water from a sprinkler, while others might not receive enough. “Poor distribution uniformity or water pressure issues can further reduce performance and lead to overwatering in some areas and underwatering in others,” Klopp says.

Both over- and underwatering can lead to unnecessary plant stress.

Drip Irrigation vs. Sprinklers—Which Is Right for You?

Deciding between a drip irrigation system and a sprinkler system comes down to the types of plants you’re looking to water and your climate. Arid regions, in particular, benefit from drip irrigation, says Klopp. 

“If you want to water directly at the base of a foundation, drip irrigation is absolutely the way to go in that situation,” Wilson adds. “But if you're looking to cover a half-acre of turf grass? Sprinklers are going to be more efficient and practical there.”

There may even be cases where you can utilize both. “Many landscapes benefit from using both systems together, with sprinklers for lawn areas and drip irrigation for everything else,” says Klopp.