We’ve had a lot of rain lately but after just a couple days of hot dry weather your garden might be thirsty again.  Might have to water.

What’s the best way?  A lot of people have a lot to say about that… a controversial subject.  Overhead vs root zone.  Drip or flood.  Morning or evening.  Rain, well, or city.  Oscillating or impact (Rain Bird)…  There is no right answer.  But I can tell you what I like best and why.

I prefer the rotary sprinklers, like the one in the picture.  Rotary sprinklers have arms that spin and water comes out of holes in the ends of the arms.   I like these little green plastic ones, like in the picture.  They have adjustable tips, are very inexpensive, and I’ve never had one malfunction.  The biggest reason why I like them best is that they give the greatest imitation of natural rain drops.  By that I mean a constant dripping of drops in a changing pattern like rain – as opposed to an oscillating sprinkler (ones that go back and forth) which drops the water in intermittent waves, or a static sprinkler that continuously drops the water in the same spot.  A rain gauge check also shows that this type of sprinkler delivers more water too, gives the garden a really good soaking in a shorter period of time.

I set mine up on overturned buckets or big flower pots and use bungie cords to attach them so they don’t slip off.  Doing this lifts the force of the spray above the plant foliage so it doesn’t beat up the leaves and it also gives a greater simulation of rain and causes the sprinkler to cover a larger area.

Get out there and check your garden this weekend.  Wouldn’t want to loose it now for the want of a little drink of water.