Shrubbler®. (n.d.). Antelco. https://antelco.com/products/drippers/landscape-adjustable-flow/shrubbler
If you have installed or looked into installing a micro system before, chances are you have heard of the Shrubbler. Shrubblers are an incredibly popular micro watering method and for good reason. The Shrubbler will easily fit into a variety of drip systems. With its straightforward setup and depth of customizability, you will find it is a tough spray to beat.
What is the Shrubbler?
The Shrubbler is a classic micro spray with adjustable distance and flow, tweaked by rotating the cap. The Shrubbler offers a “spider-like” watering pattern, spraying eight streams of water in a standard 360° configuration or four in the 180° option. With a solid UV-resistant plastic build, they remain affordable without sacrificing durability, allowing for a product you can trust.
Variations
Shrubblers come in a variety of configurations, the most common or “standard” configuration is a 360° spiked Shrubbler. Delving deeper we can see the spiked Shrubbler in 360° has four variations, those being standard black, green cap, orange cap, and an in-line option, most suitable for planter boxes. Another popular configuration is spiked Shrubblers in 180°. Both the 360° and 180° Shrubblers are also available in a 0.16” barbed configuration, a 10-32 thread, and a ½” female thread option.
Setup
Installation
Setting up Shrubblers is incredibly simple, with a 4mm barbed inlet all you need to do is slip your 1/4” line over the barb and position your spike for optimal coverage, afterwards you are free to start watering provided you have the proper accessories installed. In the case of alternate configurations, you will need something more rigid such as a plain riser with an Asta stake for 1032 thread, or a 1/2" riser for the 1/2" female thread option.
Accessories
Senninger. (n.d.). PRLG. PRLG - solid set pressure regulator | Senninger Irrigation. https://www.senninger.com/irrigation-product/prlg
Pressure reducers are a mandatory addition for Shrubblers. You can install anywhere from a 15-30 PSI depending on what type of performance you’re looking for (See: Radius & Throw) 30 PSI, however, is the most standard pressure to run Shrubblers and will deliver the maximum performance.
Filter:
Filters, although they are not completely necessary, are highly recommended as they will greatly increase the working life of your sprays by keeping debris out of the tiny emitters.
Zone Capacity
Assuming you have a 1/2" line supplying your micro system with 4gpm, you wouldn’t want to add more than 18 Shrubblers per zone, however, every system is different, and you should get a proper pressure reading that will be more reliable and tailored to your needs.
If you are unaware of what your gallonage is, it is easy enough to find. One option is to come into Wes-Tech and grab a rental flow gauge which will give you the most accurate reading, however, you may also use the “Bucket Test”.
Bucket Test:
The bucket test involves recording the time it takes you to fill a 5-gallon bucket from the water source you will be attaching your micro heads. You will time how long it takes to fill the 5-gallon bucket in seconds and divide the bucket capacity by that value, then multiply by 60.
e.g.
5 (5 Gallon Bucket) / 16 (16 Seconds to fill the bucket) = 0.3125 (Gallons per second)
0.3125 (Gallons per second) x 60 = 18.75 GPM (Gallons per minute)
18.75 (Gallons per minute) x 60 = 1,125 GPH (Gallons per hour)
Using the flow rate chart in the “Radius & Flow” section, you can calculate how many Shrubblers you can set up per zone based on your gallonage.
Application
Generally, you will use Shrubblers for pots, hanging baskets, and planter boxes. You also may find some success using Shrubblers in landscaped gardens and nurseries. However, it is important to note that if there is high foot traffic, or you have pets, this might not be the best option for you as micro sprays are more easily disturbed than something like a popup spray head or dripline.
Micro Spray vs Sprinklers
Micro sprays have some great advantages over something like a popup spray head, some of those advantages are as follows:
Installation: Shrubblers run above ground, so installation tends to be a lot easier. You will also find it is easier to diagnose issues if they arise.
Water Restrictions: Micro Irrigation faces the same water restrictions as dripline, even during escalating restrictions in most regions you can run your micro sprays, see the “Water Restrictions” section for more information.
Efficiency Shrubblers directly water the roots of your plants leading to less evaporation, runoff, and overspray.
Adjustable: You have the option to adjust your radius and gallonage with Shrubblers, giving you plenty of customizability when trying to achieve the perfect watering setup for your plants.
Radius & Throw
Two main factors go into a Shrubblers performance.
First, PSI is incredibly important. You may operate anywhere between 15-30 PSI while still achieving proper performance, however, exceeding 30 PSI will cause an array of issues.
Secondly, what we call clicks. Clicks are the method by which the performance of a Shrubbler is measured. To fine-tune your Shrubbler you must tighten it completely, that will get you to 0 clicks. Once at 0 clicks, you can go anywhere up to 33 clicks, however, performance is capped at 22 clicks, using the charts located below you may find the exact distance and gallonage you’re looking to output and adjust your clicks accordingly.
Antelco. (2023). Irrigation Equipment USA Catalog. Antelco.
Water Restrictions
During summer months different regions often impose some form of water restrictions in hopes of conserving as much water as possible for our dry season.
Luckily, micro sprays are a perfect choice during water restrictions. Micro spray’s impressive efficiency means that even during escalating levels of water restrictions you will often be able to use it. For example, even when water restrictions are set into stage 3 in Comox Valley guidelines state that micro sprays are still able to be run normally. It is, however, up to you to ensure that you are following the watering schedule for your region as they vary depending on where you are located.
Popup sprays are subject to more water restrictions than micro sprays are. Looking back on the Comox Valley guidelines for reference, you will notice that even during stage one of the water restrictions sprays already face some constraints. Moving onto stage three you will notice that popup sprays are completely restricted while micro sprays are still permitted in the watering of trees, shrubs, flowers, and veggies.