Choose The Right Sprinkler Head
Posted on: 6 June 2016
Not all sprinkler heads are created equally. They each have their own uses, which means that the best sprinkler for your lawn may not work well for your flower gardens or bushes. The following guide can help you sort through the options so you can set up an automatic sprinkler system that works to the benefit of your entire landscape.
The lawn
You have a couple of options when it comes to choosing sprinkler heads for your lawn. If you have a relatively small lawn, or if your lawn is chopped up into zones due to garden beds, bushes, or patios, standard fan-style spray heads work well. These provide a gentle drizzle of water in a radius out from the sprinkler head. They come in full circle, half circle, and quarter circle set-ups and in various coverage areas so that you can fit them into almost any area.
Rotary sprinklers send out a spray of water in a stream. The sprinkler heads rotate in either a full or partial circle. These have a lot more distance, so they are often used in larger lawn areas. This way you can use fewer sprinkler heads to get full coverage.
Flower beds
The issue with overhead watering using spray heads or rotary sprinklers in your flower garden is that many flowers can develop fungal diseases or lose their blooms early when moisture sits on the leaves. For this reason, drip irrigation is an excellent choice in many flower gardens. Instead of sprinkler heads, there are emitters that drip water at the base of the plants, delivering enough to keep the soil moist.
There is one exception. Some shade and moisture loving plants, like those in the moss family, do better with overhead watering. One way to ensure they get the moisture they need is to install pop-up fan heads that emerge several inches from the ground.
Trees and shrubs
Many trees and shrubs don't require separate irrigation since their roots have spread sufficiently to take advantage of the moisture supplied to the lawn. If you have any water-loving trees and shrubs, however, or some planted away from lawn areas, separate irrigation may be necessary. Skip the rotary style sprinkler heads. The force of the spray can damage bark on trees or the foliage and branches on shrubs. Instead, opt for a fan-style sprinkler head that delivers moisture low to the ground. Drip irrigation can also work well around trees and shrubs. To find out more, speak with a business like Krupske Sprinkler Systems.
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