I'm sitting in the shade composing time-delayed entries (for our upcoming vacation) and orgazing guest posts. I should really be writing something for tomorrow -- I have nothing planned, and we're leaving for dinner with friends in twenty minutes. I'm facing the berries and the garden. The sprinkler is on them. Sort of. It's an oscillating sprinkler, but it's just not oscillating.

Kris and I have probably owned ten or twelve oscillating sprinklers in the nearly fifteen years we've been homeowners. They've all sucked. They all break eventually. They just stop going back-and-forth. Why is this? What can be done? Why doesn't Consumer Reports do a review of sprinklers?

What do you folks suggest? HELP ME FIND A GOOD OSCILLATING SPRINKLER!

Don't use one, they waste water. Yeah, I know thats not very helpful .

Get this unit:

http://www.gardeners.com/Noodlehead-Spr ... 32-259.cpd

It looks weird, doesn't oscillate (and doesn't need to, you point the "noodles" where you want them), and should last a good long time.

Have you considered installing an underground sprinkler system? Here's a good guide. I hope to try it myself next spring.

How To Install an Underground Sprinkler System on a Budget

I've done this myself and, while technically it's very easy, it is very labor intensive and I wouldn't want to do it again. Maybe I'm just still mad at my old man for making me give up one of my college spring breaks to do it.

What about a drip irrigation system? While sprinkler systems are around 75-85% efficient, drip systems typically are 90% or higher. Since you are watering specific plants and not your lawn I think this may be what you need.

JD,

When you say "oscillating sprinkler", do you mean only ones that fill a rectangular pattern? I'm guessing that for some reason a circular one doesn't fit your needs?

squished