pros: sprays are the most cost effective way to get water to the plants that need it. Recent improvements in irrigation technology has made spray irrigation, especially using mini-rotors, very efficient + cut waste due to misting. Sprays are easy to see + manage in an irrigation system.

cons: care must be taken to reduce water waste with sprays. Common problems include watering non-vegetative surfaces by mistake, wind blowing water off target + misting, which causes water to float away into the air.

pros: drip irrigation puts water directly where the plants need it– onto the ground in the root zone, which reduces water waste + evaporation.

cons: initial set-up of a drip system is more costly than with sprays, plus it’s harder to see the overall functioning of the drip system. Breaks in the line or clogs are hard to notice until there’s a major leak or when plants start to die.