The right setting for the job

Using the Thumper Hand Spray from Pope Irrigation

As a kid, I had an obsession with Swiss army knives. You know the ones, all the different blades and tools tucked into one handy little package. I used to carry one around everywhere, tucked into my pocket, ready for whatever job would come my way.

The Thumper Hand Spray from Pope Products is a lot like the Swiss army knife of the garden watering world. One heavy-duty spray head, 7 handy settings. To get the most out of this versatile spray head, it helps to understand each of the various settings and the relevant jobs around the garden that they can be used for.

Shower

This is my go-to garden setting – not too heavy, with a nice broad spray pattern. It’s what I use when I’m watering my veggie beds or around my fruit trees.

Mist

I rarely use this setting for actually watering my plants, even delicate things like seedlings. What I do use it for is to try and create humid, tropical conditions for plants like ferns during the heat of summer.

Flat

With its relatively narrow and flat spray pattern, I use this setting when I want to water narrow beds without watering what surrounds them. I set the spray head to flat and then work the spray up and down as I walk along the beds

Vertical

Similar to the flat setting, vertical has a narrow spray pattern that is straight up and down. I use this setting when I want to water a large area, like a lawn or a big green manure crop, as quickly as possible. I work the spray head from left to right as I walk around the area that I am watering. It’s also the setting that use for hosing down my fruit trees on hot days.

Centre

Not as powerful as the jet, but nice and direct, with a smaller, focussed spray area. I like to use this setting when I want to water a particular tree or shrub that is at the back of one of my garden beds, without having to walk through the bed. Perfect for precision watering. 

Cone

A focused cone of water with gentle pressure. This is the setting that I use when watering my plants that are growing in pots or when I want to give some watery TLC to a particular plant or two in my garden beds.

Jet

This is the most direct and powerful setting on the spray head. I rarely use this setting in the garden, it’s too forceful and can damage my soil and delicate plants. What I do use it for is cleaning hard surfaces like cement paths (my chooks favourite place to leave their droppings) and the exterior of my house. It’s also my preferred setting for chasing after and spraying my kids with.

You can find the Thumper from Pope Irrigation at your local Bunnings Warehouse, Mitre 10 or independent garden retailers.