# Looking for a sprinkler head recommendation



## jim1959 (Aug 19, 2019)

I've got a small flower bed that is about 8 foot deep x 16 foot wide that currently has 2 smaller pop up mister type heads in it. They have 1/2" female pipe connections on the bottom of them.

I would like to put in some kind of small rotor type sprinkler in place of them but what I'm seeing at the local building supply throws the water 22 feet and further which would water the patch and a lot lot more that doesn't need the water.

Does anyone make a rotor type sprinkler that would allow me to pinch it back so I can water the patch more accurately?

Thanks,
Jim


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## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

I think rotors go about 15 feet minimum and don't work well dialed down that much. I also suspect rotors throw too much water too fast for flowers.

As a "minimum" install, I would use two Hunter MP Rotator 1000-90, installed on 12" Hunter pop-ups at the front, spraying a 180° half-circle, spaced about 8 feet apart, each dialed down to spray about a 8 to 9 foot radius.

As an "optimum" install, I would install a third head in the center-back creating a triangle where all three heads spray onto each other. You'd have even coverage except in the back corners.

Small areas are tough. In my sketch below, the red X in the corners mark where there's no head overlap resulting in a little less irrigation. But it's only those two corners. I suspect you can adjust the back head to throw a little farther and catch those corners well enough.


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## jim1959 (Aug 19, 2019)

Thanks. I know so little about sprinkling it's not funny. The current piping is at about 6 o'clock and 10 o'clock in this bed. It's an older installation in my flower bed and I was hoping to not have to do any trenching to install any more water lines but I appreciate the advice.


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## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

You can probably use two MP Rotator 2000 at those locations and dial them down to about 17 feet. This would overspray outside the area to get acceptable coverage, but waste water. Or you might try my suggested layout but avoid trenching by running some PEX hidden just under the mulch. I'm just throwing out ideas.

Another approach would be to go tiny. I think flowers love drip and micro-spray heads. You might use the existing heads to feed a bunch of micro-sprayers or drip emitters. I believe there are retro-fit kits to convert spray heads to drip irrigation. I understand that micro irrigation requires more maintenance than regular spray heads though.

Please keep us posted on what you do. I'm here to learn and get ideas.


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