Sprinkler System in the Hosta beds?

9 years ago

We are having a sprinkler system installed either this fall or next spring. Does anyone have any recommendations on the type of sprinkler heads to use in my beds? We have garden around the perimeter of our backyard - sometimes 3 ft wide and more like 20 ft in the back as it curves in and out as part of the berm. The bed on the west side is under both maple and sycamore trees and really needs supplemental water.

I know you aren't supposed to get the leaves wet when watering the hosta so you don't spread nematodes. But I don't want to put in a system and then have to go out and water my perennial beds by hand. As it is, it is hard to get away on any vacation in the summer because the watering is really a lot to ask of anyone.

What do you do? How do you water your hosta gardens?

Any advice here would be appreciated. (Mocc with all your pots I haven't a clue what you must do)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Steve Massachusetts
9 years ago
If it's possible then use drip irrigation in the Hosta beds. This will give the proper amount of water delivered at the roots. It won't encourage nematode damage or travel.

If you have to have overhead sprinkling, then make sure the sprinklers are placed properly or raised up high enough so that they don't damage the leaves of the Hosta. The display garden I care for has overhead sprinkling. The Hostas have gotten so big that they encroach upon the sprinkler heads and as a result the leaves were getting damaged by the water streams. I've had to raise up the sprinkler heads so that they clear the larger plants.

Steve
User
9 years ago
Currently I have 3 of the 5 foot tall sprinklers (set to misting) set in series on spikes.. I have 1 of the same heads on a ground level low spike too. These are made with brass fittings and copper tubing. They don't look bad.

I don't splash with this setup, and unlike a hard rain (like the downpour at dinnertime which put 3 inches of rain in the bucket in less than an hour), it does not splash.

It is a new setup so I have no long term experience to report. What I like about it though, and one reason I am trying it, is because I also need to cool down the air. A misting system can cool the air by 20 degrees for a period of time. It doesn't have to be a powerful mist for that, but for watering plants it does need to be substantial to not vaporize and vanish.

I'm thinking of another head on a short spike, then have them in series on a hose secured to the top of my new lattice shade screen. That spot would be experimental of course, until I discovered how effective it was at watering the plants in the hottest zone of my garden, and keeping that area cooler.

I need to get a couple of garden themometers. Durable, and easy to read from a distance.

Here is a picture of one which looks pretty, and has a stake, but it leaks terribly. Plus, it splashes. I recommend it for lawn areas or flower beds with NO HOSTAS. Perhaps shrubbery, but then do you water your shrubs?

The one I like is this one linked below

Here is a link that might be useful: tall sprinkler
Related Discussions
attach soaker hose to sprinkler system?
Q
Comments (3)
As I understand it, soaker hoses and drip systems are much lower pressure systems than sprinkler systems. It's mechanically easy to tap in to a sprinkler system, but you'll need to include a pressure regulator between the sprinkler system and the soaker hose. This can be as simple as a pin-hole disk which you insert into the female end of the soaker hose, or as complicated as a $5 regulator that simply screws inline between soaker and source.
...See More
Anyone willing to review my sprinkler system plans?
Q
Comments (3)
r andersen, the two offerings I have are:- 1. Designs usually factor in a 50% overlap. In practice this means spacing the heads one and a half times the distance of the radius of the 'throw' or coverage. 2. Where more than two heads cover the same area, localised over-watering may occur. When this happens, you can compensate by stepping down the size of one or more nozzle(s). Most reputable manufacturers provide a selection of nozzles rated in gpm.
...See More
Do you use sprinkler, sprinkler system or soaker hoses?
Q
Comments (9)
Hi Marti, this is the info that came with some of our hoses. The manufacturer recommends spacing between soaker hoses based on soil type. On sandy soils the hose should be 1 to 1.5 feet apart. On loam soils, hose spacing should be 1.5 to 2 feet apart. And on clay soils spacing should be 2 to 3 feet apart. If you have a heavy soil, which is hard to dig, then use the 2 to 3 feet spacing as you wind or spiral the hosing in and around the plants to be watered. The manufacturer also indicates that the hose should be operated at low pressure and flow Â 10 to 30 pounds per square inch (PSI). However, this requires the addition of a pressure regulator at the supply end of the hose. Rather than attaching a pressure regulator, I suggest just barely opening the hose bib to obtain the smallest amount of water flow through the hose. Although not scientific, my tests have indicated that by just opening the hose bib slightly, the flow rate of water out the hose is about .6 gallons per foot-of-hose per hour. So, a 50 foot soaker hose would apply about 30 gallons of water per hour. Comparing this to the output of one gallon drip emitters on standard 3-foot spacings, the soaker hose applies double the amount of water over the same given time. The time needed to water with a soaker hose will depend in great part on the type of plants being watered. Trees require the longest soaking since their roots can extend down 3 feet. Small garden plants and ground covers need the shortest soaking since their roots extend down only 12 to 18 inches. The object is to allow the water to penetrate down to the rooting depth. When laying out the hose over the area to be watered, remember to watch spacing. When watering trees, start the soaker hose a few feet from the trunk. Spiral the hose out several feet beyond the edge of the branches. This will allow watering of a substantial portion of the roots. When watering shrub or ground cover beds, snake the hose through the area, extending the hose just a foot or so beyond the outermost branches. Turn the hose on and allow the water to run 30 to 60 minutes, then check the depth of wetting. You can do this by using a metal soil probe. A 3-foot piece of metal re-bar or a thick wooden dowel will work. The rod can be pushed through moist soil, but stops when dry soil is encountered. Measure the depth of wetting and adjust the watering time of the soaker hose accordingly. It may take several hours to properly water a tree. A final suggestion. Rather than run your soaker hose for a continuous time period, try running it in cycles Â one hour on and one hour off until the desired depth of wetting is reached. This will further slow the rate of application and increase absorption.
...See More
Converting existing sprinkler system to pvc pipes
Q
Comments (0)
I have an existing sprinkler system on the raised vegetable bed that is not efficient. I want to convert it into a pvc system using risers to replace the sprinkler heads. I tried once to replace the sprinkler heads with the adjustable manifold, but the connectors to the pipes kept breaking off. Anyone tried this?
...See More
dougald_gw
9 years ago
My garden is in well drained soil under a canopy of eastern white pines and a few spruce. Those trees make the soil acidic and also give close to desert like conditions as they block all but the hardest rains. Note that while rain is quite reliably regular here (just under an inch per week), it rarely comes down in buckets.

My solution was to extend the sprinkler system which pumps water from a nearby river. Since I did this in 2009, the hostas have been much much happier. A steady 1/2 inch of lightly fertilized river water every morning works wonders.

There are two drawbacks - one is that leaves may be damaged by the constant spray from a nearby sprinkler head. Raising the head on a stake about a foot seems to overcome this for all but the closest biggest leaves.

A second issue is that there can be splashing which may put some soil on low leaves. I just ignore this but also I dont mulch or disturb the soil so over time the effect is minimal.

Nems are often stated as a problem though the sprinkler system here sits under the canopy so cannot wash nems down from trees (do they even exist in conifers?). At any rate, I have never noticed nematode damage though as Steve has pointed out, I may have a short enough growing season (late May through early September) that nems dont get much opportunity to cause trouble.
funnthsun z7A - Southern VA
9 years ago
That link didn't work for me, Mocc, but if you go to Amazon and keyword search hi rise lifetime sprinkler, it came right up.
User
9 years ago
Thanks for catching that, Funn. I'd shortened the looooong URL it was so ridiculous. Guess it was necessary though. I did not get my sprinklers from Amazon.
Zoe Kendrick
8 years ago
My husband and I have wanted to get a sprinkler system installed for a while now. However, like you, I was scared of the damage it could do to some of my plants. I'm so glad you were all able to find ways to prevent the damage! I'll definitely try some of your methods. Hopefully I can get the sprinklers installed soon! http://www.headsupsprinklers.com

Sprinkler System in the Hosta beds?

Comments (6)

Steve Massachusetts

User

Related Discussions

dougald_gw

funnthsun z7A - Southern VA

User

Zoe Kendrick

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US