I use a couple different kinds, and havn't had any problems. One type is an inline valve that adjusts flow, and can be shut off completely. We had these in the veggie garden. If you harvest a row of something, you can just shut that line off until you plant something else.

Another way is with a mini-sprinkler head that adjusts--you can get a 3 ft or so radius, on down to a few inches. You can also shut them off completely. I prefer the mini-sprinkler, just because it's one less part to have to connect up. Also I can adjust to the size of the rose.

You can also adjust the pressure at the valve itself--if the pressure is too high, you can blow all your parts apart, and if it is too low, the plants don't get enough water. There are also inline pressure reducers.

One thing I have learned: use all the same brand. The parts are all slightly different sizes between manufacturers, and they don't quite fit each other's parts precisely.

You'll likely find lots of people here who've used many different systems but the best one I've personally seen is in Jeff Wyckoff's garden.
He uses PVC pipe and Dram nozzles and his Roses are gorgeous.
He's ARS VP and easy to contact.
I'm setting up a new Garden in my new house and I plan on doing it this way too.
Chuck

I use an automatic water sprinkler system and it works fine.

Reg's advice is superb.
But on the off chance that you have a well, I'd add that the 1/2 gal per hour drip emitters will keep roses alive, I just have to run the system longer.
"City water" has the power to handle the wonderful spray and other emitters, but wells often don't have the storage capacity (or pump capacity) to do the job quickly.
And how water works in/spreads through soil is different even in different parts of a garden.

Earlier this year, after reading about the Dripworks system on this forum, I installed the Dripworks Rose Garden Kit. I have loved it, but better, my roses have loved it. It is a kit that includes everything you need, easy to install. I haven't had any problems with any of the parts, and the service is wonderful, by phone and how quickly they ship. My kit used a sprinkler head (called a Shrubbler)that sends the water in about an 8" circle at the roots of the plant, and the flow is adjustable. My roses have stayed happy all summer despite the worst drought North Carolina has ever experienced, and weeks of 100+ degree temperatures.

As far as drip irregation goes I've tried everything under the sun and then some! Living in BS hell I can't rely on overhead irregation which comes easiest for me given my existing sprinkler system.

I have a pump that draws water from the lake behind the house on a timer (this is standard home fair for South Florida). Because of the source of my water, drip irregation has been a chalenge from day one. I've tried the drip systems sold at the big box stores and have found several sources of irregation (all of which failed me after a month's time).

The second most successful system that I used was the soaker hose. I boughts several rolls of this only to be dissapointed with my inability to find non-leaking converters that could connect my existing system with the standard garden hose connections found on the soaker hoses. At this point 10% of my roses are being watered by soaker hoses.

The only thing that combined affordability (I have close to 300 rose bushes on my property) and functionality was and is my SpotSpitters. For those of you that have seen my posts on this subject in the past I must sound like a commercial, but I find this product revolutionary in it's simplicity.

Attached is a link to the website. I used to order them from www.growersupply.com but they decided to stop carrying it so don't waste your time.

I personaly use the blue spitter that gives me a strong stream of water at 360%. My roses have flourished with this product. If I need to close a line for whatever reason I merly flip the spitter around and it acts a plug.

Good luck! I know first hand how difficult it can be to find the perfect drip system, so I can empathize.

Adrian.

Here is a link that might be useful: Robert's Spot-Spitters

wanttogarden, for roses, I use an emitter that looks like the one you picture: it emits in the shape of an asterisk. It is called a shrubbler. There is a second emitter (Dripworks called it the Spectrum) with a similar shape that that emits in an umbrella stream. That one both emits too much water too fast and is less reliable and more subject to blow outs (the top blows off) and blockage.

I have used dripper tubing with mixed results because we mulch. As the mulch breaks down, it can clog the tubing. I like shrubblers because you can see them work, clean them in the spring, and add multiples for very large, vigorous roses. Every rose starts out on shrubbler, not at max, and eventually graduates to more water.

Drip is high maintenance. You will need to flush the lines in the spring before you turn drip back on after the winter rains. Then you will have to check every single shrubbler is working.

You will need to adjust your timer about three times a season unless you get a really cool one that adjusts based on the evapotranspiration index. And you should know how to clean the filters on your irrigation valves. As for clogging, that may depend on your water source. If you have a well, you should already know if your water has a lot of calcium. If you have a water district, in general the water should be fine. But use a filter on your valves anyway. It's just a good idea, and you'll need a pressure reducer anyway.

Here is a link that might be useful: shrubbler at Dripworks

I bought the Dripworks Rose Kit this summer. It was easy to install and it worked so well that I had to buy a bunch more parts to hook up everything in my backyard. I use the shrubblers and adjust them by hand to get the right flow to the right plants. Some are turned all the way up to cover a perennial and a rose, some are on low for a smaller perennial or my raspberries which don't need as much water. I couldn't use a soaker hose as most of my backyard is a fairly steep hill. The drip system was ideal for that situation as even the very top of the hill gets the same amount of water as the bottom, and it comes out slowly enough to soak into the ground instead of all running off.

I put in a pretty big irrigation system this past summer. I am currently using the shrubbler type emitters and so far so good. Out of a couple hundred, not one has clogged and we have very hard water. Also, my plants look so much better than when I had to water everything by hand.