Garden sprinklersgreatly facilitate watering plants, and also allow you to get a dispersed stream of water directed in the right direction. The termgarden sprinklerscan be understood as both hand sprinkler nozzles, placed on the end of the watering hose, andstationary garden sprinklers , which are permanently installed in selected place in the garden. See how to use sprinklers andwhich sprinkler to choosefor watering your lawn and garden.
The oscillating garden sprinkler waters a rectangular surface
I remember when I was a little kid and I used to water my grandfather's garden. The water flowed from the end of the garden hose in the same stream as the tap. When I needed a diffuse jet, I blocked the water outlet with my finger and the water began to splash. After a few minutes of such watering, the hand ached and the finger was numb from the cold water.
Today, probably no one is watering the garden like that anymore, because we have a choice ofgarden sprinklersfor various applications. To put it simply - the sprinkler is an end attached to a garden hose, which allows to obtain a dispersed stream. For our amateur applications, we can assume the followingdivision of sprinkler types :
- manual garden sprinklers
- portable stationary sprinklers
- sprinklers for irrigation systems (permanently installed).
Manual garden sprinklers
The manual garden sprinkleris a type of tip attached to a garden hose, which you have to hold in your hand while watering.It can be in the form of a nozzle with a stream regulation or a more convenient to hold a gun. The gun is equipped with a lever that allows you to regulate the intensity of the water stream and a tip, turned to the right or left, that allows you to adjust the type of stream (from a point stream to a fine mist).
Of course, the cheapest solution is the plastic nozzle. The gun, however, will provide us with more convenience when watering. If we decide to use a metal gun, it will also be more durable.Nozzles or guns are connected to the hoses by means of couplings (so-called quick couplings), which are worth buying right away together with the nozzle or the gun. When choosing a sprinkler and connectors, you need to match them to the cross-section of the garden hose (usually 1/2 or 3/4 inch).
Stationary garden sprinklers
The stationary garden sprinklerdoes not require constant holding in the hand. It is connected to a garden hose and placed in the desired place in the garden.Even on a small plot of land, it is worth having at least one stationary sprinkler next to the manual sprinkler.
There are different types ofstationary garden sprinklersthat allow you to irrigate the area in a rectangular shape (oscillating or oscillating sprinklers ) or a circle (all or part of it).When buying a sprinkler for your garden , it is worth choosing one that not only has the ability to adjust the direction and range of sprinkling, but also the method of spraying water (droplet size).As in the case of sprinklers handhelds, and here you can choose cheaper plastic devices or more durable - metal ones.
Lawn sprinkler
Sprinklers for irrigation systems
The construction of an automatic irrigation system, including the selection of sprinklers, can be commissioned to a professional contractor. However, it is worth briefly discussing whatgarden sprinklersare used in this type of installation. For irrigation of beds and groups of shrubs, the so-called micro-sprinklers. These are devices consisting of a spray head and a pin that is stuck into the ground. They are connected to the irrigation line with thin hoses, which are gently covered with a thin layer of soil or mulch.
Micro-sprinklershave a short range. As a rule, they can irrigate a circle (or its segment) with an area of 1.5 to 4 m.
The main advantage of micro-sprinklers is that they are easy to install and can be removed from the soil, for example, when you need to replant a bush or dig the soil in a given place. However, you need to be careful when doing this, as the micro-sprinklers are usually delicate and easy to damage. It is also recommended to remove them for the winter period.
Micro-sprinklers hidden among the plantson the bed do not interfere. However, they will not be suitable for watering lawns and other well-exposed and exposed surfaces. Firstly, because the micro-sprinklers sticking out of the ground will look unsightly, and secondly, because it would be easy to damage them while mowing the grass or just walking on the grass.Removing them before each mowing would be too laborious.
For watering the lawn and larger areas under trees,pop-up garden sprinklersThey are placed in the ground, flush with the ground. They are installed permanently (they cannot be moved during maintenance works) and the lines supplying them with water are hidden under the soil surface.Pop-up garden sprinklersextend upwards under the influence of water pressure. However, when idle, they are hidden and invisible between the blades of grass. Thanks to this, they do not disturb the aesthetics of the lawn and allow for safe mowing.
Pop-up sprinklers , depending on the type and their adjustment, can water circles with a radius of about 3 to over 10 meters. On the lawn, arrange them so that the watering range covers 30%. Thanks to this, the entire area of the turf will be watered.
The use of less and lessgarden sprinklers On lawns, they are inconvenient to use for the same reasons as micro-sprinklers. However, they are less delicate than micro-sprinklers and are generally cheaper than pop-up sprinklers. For these reasons, they appear in home gardens, wherever the sprinkler protruding slightly above the soil surface does not bother too much.
