Question

slope   QUESTION: Hi, This is a followup to my last question about the leaking anti-siphon valve. Thanks for your answer, I will be replacing the valve with an inline valve. Before I start I'd like to get your opinion on the type of setup I have for this hillside. The area is 35' wide by 20' with about 45' steep angle slope. Currently there are 3 sprinkler outlet. 2 on each end on top and one in the middle bottom.

For these 3 heads, I'm thinking of installing Orbit Saturn III popup rotors or the Orbit Titan shrub rotors. Are these good products or would you suggest others?

Can this setup be acceptable to sufficiently water the plant Im about to plant? This slope is fully shaded with two large pepper tree at the side. I'm in S. CA and im thinking planting some primrose, creeping myrtle, foxtail fern, dracaena, lavernder and other drought tollerant plants. I want to water no more than once a week eventually.

Picture attached. Thank you.

ANSWER: Hey Will, sorry this took so long, but with the holiday we were out of town. I would suggest putting in a Rainbird 1812- 12" pop-up spray head, but use a Hunter MP rotator nozzle. These nozzles put out streams of water at a very slow precipitation rate, that will be ideal for your slope, as the water should not run off with these nozzles. Also, the heads will pop up a full 12" to spray over any ground cover you might put in. Go to www.hunterindustries.com website, and this will show you and explain how the nozzles work. Good luck and have a great day.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jim,

Thanks for your answer. I've been thinking. Can I take out the piping going up the hill and just put three sprinklers on the bottom of the hill? I will extend my bottom piping 15' more to the left side. Wouldn't this be much easier to maintain in the future? No more climbing up the hill to adjust a head.

The MP3000 Rotator head should be able to water up to 30 feet to the top of the hill right? I just need to angle my heads about 45degree to match the slope using a swing arm assembly using 2 90deg elbows. And Im thinking using shrub extensions instead of poupups.

Will this work, whats the advantage of downhill irrigation vs uphill?

Answer
Hey Will, actually what I would suggest, is take the bottom head and split it out to your bottom corners and then you will have a head in each corner. Should not have to make adjustments on the heads once they are installed properly. You want the heads to overlap when they are working for proper coverage. Just having the heads on the bottom of the hill will not work. Also, it is fine if you want to use long nipples (riser) with a shrub adaptor. What I would suggest, is install what would be considered a swing joint assembly, this way you can adjust the angle of your riser without having to adjust your fitting down below. Also, most the time, we keep the heads level with the earth (world) not necessarily with the slope of the ground. The top heads I would suggest keeping level with the world, but you might have to give the bottom heads a slight tilt back. When the water is being dispersed from the nozzle, it is going to come off at about a 30 degree angle. Also, yes, the heads will throw 30 feet if you need them to. Good luck and have a great day.