The Napa Valley has a typical Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Last summer was particularly dry, with virtually no rain from March through August.

We all know that plants need water, but conserving water is also important. The most economical way to water plants is to use drip irrigation.

For the plant to benefit, the water has to get to the roots. Overhead watering by hose or sprinklers not only wastes water through evaporation. It can also encourage molds and other diseases to infect your plants.

When you investigate drip systems, the choices and the expense can be intimidating. By adding multi-spigot attachments to your existing faucets, you can water plant groups with similar needs by just turning on the right faucet. I have several faucet systems. My vegetable area has five spigots, so I can give the greens more water than the peppers. In the summer, when I water the entire landscape, I just turn on all the spigots.

What are the requirements for a basic drip system? You will need a water source with a filter; a faucet-to-tubing connector; a length of one-quarter-inch tubing; a length of one-half-inch tubing; double-ended connectors for the small-to-large tubing; one package each of red, green and black emitters; figure-eight end caps; a tubing hole punch and hole plugs.

Using a filter at each faucet cuts down on clogging. If you have a well, a back-flow preventer is a good precaution against water backflowing from the landscaping into the well.

Emitters are measured in gallons per hour (gph). Green emitters (one and one-half gph) are for plants that like a lot of water. Black (one gph) are for plants with moderate needs. Red (one-half gph) are for drought-resistant plants. If you are not sure about a plant’s water needs, ask a local nursery person or contact the Napa County Master Gardeners (contact information below).

The first step is to set up the larger tubing. Start by stretching out the tubing on a sunny day. This will take all the “curls” out of the tubing, making it easier to work with.

Gather your tools: a tubing cutter to cut the larger tubing; scissors to cut the smaller tubing;  needle-nosed pliers to attach the connectors; and a white marking pen. A cheap toolbox with dividers is handy for corraling all the small things, so you can carry them along as you work.

Attach faucet connector to faucet and attach a length of half-inch tubing. Lay out as much of the larger tubing as you need for that area, then cut it and put on the end cap. Repeat for each area.

The smaller tubing attaches to the larger. The small tubing, emitter and connector are an emitter section. There are two schools of thought about the placement of emitter sections. One approach is to space the tubing evenly at one-foot intervals. This works well for closely planted landscapes or ground covers, as it distributes the water evenly over a large area. The other option is to put emitters no closer than a half-foot away from each plant. Whatever your choice, use your pen to mark on the larger tubing where you want to place emitter sections. Then you can punch all the holes at one time.

Now that you have the half-inch tubing laid out and the holes punched, it is time to attach the smaller tubing. It is easier to add the finished emitter section to the larger tubing than to work from the larger tubing to the emitter.

Cut a length of small tubing sufficient to reach from the larger tubing to the plant. Then insert the double-ended connector into one end of the small tubing; put the emitter on the other end. Push the double-ended connector into the hole in the half-inch tubing. Hold on to the connector with the needle-nose pliers and twist the tubing into the hole in the larger tubing. Repeat this procedure for each emitter.

Burying the larger tubing under mulch is more attractive than leaving it aboveground. Burying it also protects it from sunlight.

Drip-irrigation systems give your landscape the right amount of water at the right time. Although the initial expense and labor is considerable, the system will last for years with little maintenance. Emitters need to be checked once a month and flushed twice a year, once in spring and again at midseason. To flush, remove the end cap and run water through the system for a few minutes. You will feel better knowing that you are conserving a valuable resource.

Free Workshop: On June 13, Napa County Master Gardeners will hold a workshop on “Pretty Plants for a Pretty Garden,” from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Ave., Napa. This workshop will highlight hardy and beautiful vines, groundcovers, and flowers for containers. Participants who complete an evaluation form will receive free seedlings.

Napa County Master Gardeners answer questions Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, at the UC Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa, 253-4221, or toll-free at 877-279-3065. Their Web site is http://cenapa.ucdavis.edu