Among the specialized watering devices you can incorporate into your irrigation system are sprayers, minisprinklers, and misters.

Drip system sprayers water more slowly and operate at a much lower pressure than do conventional sprinkler heads. They consist of small spray heads that fit into the ends of 1/4-inch tubing, rigid risers, or pop-up risers. They're useful for irrigating closely spaced or dense plantings. They also dispense water efficiently over the root zones of trees and shrubs and deliver the right amount of moisture to hanging plants.

Like sprinkler heads, sprayers come in quarter-, half-, and full-circle patterns, as well as in a bow-tie shape. Some sprayer heads come with threaded barbs, ready to connect to risers, spikes, or tubing; others are already attached to a stake or pop-up assembly. Different sprayers have output rates from 5 to 30 gph and cover a 4- to 25-foot radius.

Minisprinklers cover larger areas than sprayers, spraying water in partial or full-circle patterns measuring from 10 to 30 feet across. (Rotary versions of minisprinklers are available but should not be used in the same zone with sprayers.) Some minisprinklers are nonclogging and self-cleaning. Because the spray consists of larger droplets than that of sprayers, it is less affected by the wind. Output ranges from about 6 to 50 gph.

Misters raise the humidity around fog-loving plants such as fuchsias, azaleas, and bonsais, and can be used to slowly water hanging plants. They can be either staked in the ground to spray upward or suspended above a hanging plant to spray downward. Their water output rates range from 2 to 10 gph.

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