Button emitters, PC drippers, spray stakes and drip assemblies for container and pot production.
Spray stakes, on-line drippers and drip assemblies are how a container nursery or greenhouse puts a measured dose of water into each pot instead of wetting the whole bed. One stake or emitter per container, fed off a poly lateral, puts water and top-dressed fertilizer on the mix rather than the aisle, and takes the hose out of the crew's hands.
The decision that matters most is pressure-compensating or not. Where every pot sees close to the same pressure, a non-PC stake or button dripper is the simpler, cheaper point. Where the run is long or the ground slopes, PC keeps the first and last plant on the same schedule.
Spray stake, point-source dripper or dribble ring: which suits the container?
Match the emitter to how the pot needs to be wetted, not to habit. A spray stake wets the surface of the mix from one point at the pot edge, so top-dressed fertilizer is activated evenly and the root ball gets the water rather than the rim. That makes it the default for container nursery blocks. The Primerus Spot-Spitter is the fixed-pattern stake many container nurseries standardize on, in standard, tall and downspray versions for different container heights. The Netafim stakes come in single or double spray and in PC and non-PC builds, with the PC version holding flow up to 60 psi.
A point-source dripper on a length of microtube, staked into the pot, suits smaller containers and bench crops where a spray would overshoot. Netafim's Woodpecker, Rivulis Supertif PC / PCND and Katif PC, and the Dramm PCAS emitters all work this way, and Antelco's Asta Drip Spike PC builds the emitter and spike into one piece. Flows run from about half a gallon per hour to a few gallons per hour, so one lateral carries a lot of pots. One dripper can also feed two or four pots through a manifold, which is the multi-outlet approach.
For big containers, where a single drip point channels straight through the mix, a dribble ring or a bubbler spreads the water around the pot. Antelco's adjustable Shrubbler and PotStream let you dial flow and coverage per plant when pot sizes are mixed on one line.
What pressure and filtration does a spray-stake zone need?
Start with the pressure the emitter actually sees at the pot, not at the pump. Non-PC stakes and button drippers put out more water as pressure rises, so they belong on short, level laterals behind a pressure regulator. Lower flows also carry further: Netafim rates a 3 gph spray stake to 215 ft of 0.520 in. pipe against 145 ft for 7 gph, and the Rivulis ClickTif wants at least 14.5 psi.
Pressure-compensating emitters hold flow across a stated window, and the windows differ. Netafim's Woodpecker PC compensates from 7 to 58 psi, the Junior with anti-drain from 10.2 psi, and the PC spray stakes hold flow up to 60 psi. Check that the lateral stays inside the window end to end, including the top of any slope.
On sloping ground, add anti-drain. A Woodpecker PC with CNL seals once pressure falls below about 5 ft of head, and the Rivulis Supertif PCND is no-drain, so the lateral does not empty into the lowest pots every time the zone shuts off, and the next cycle starts at once.
Every orifice here is small. Put disc or screen filtration ahead of the zone; Netafim calls for 120 mesh on the Woodpecker and Button drippers. Wide flow paths, such as Netafim's Turbonet and the larger Dramm PCAS labyrinth, pass debris better, but they are not a substitute for a filter. If you fertigate, keep a filter downstream of the injector.
Where do these systems go wrong, and how do the lines differ?
The failures we see are rarely the emitter's fault. The most common is a non-PC stake on a run that is too long or drops in elevation, so the far end of the row is dry while the near end floods. The second is no filter, or the wrong mesh, which means someone walking the block clearing stakes. Third is a stake that is wrong for the pot: a standard-height spitter lost in a deep canopy, or a spray set so it hits the pot wall and runs straight out the bottom. Fourth is mixed flow rates on one lateral. Most emitters here are color-coded by flow, so check the colors before they go in the pots.
The lines take different routes to the same result. Netafim covers both spray stakes and Woodpecker drippers in PC and non-PC form, with CNL anti-drain options. Rivulis builds its on-line family around outlet flexibility, from the E1000 multi-function port to the Supertif side outlet. Antelco leads with adjustable emitters and PC drippers that self-pierce or come apart for cleaning. Dramm's PCAS range is a full system: emitters from 2 to 12 lph, 0.191 in. tubing in cut lengths, two- and four-way manifolds, weights, dribble rings, angle stakes and Easyloc 16 mm fittings. Tavlit supplies ready-made PC assemblies in quantity. Tell us the crop, pot size, water source and lateral length when you request a quote, and ask us which line fits the block.
Frequently asked
Do I need pressure-compensating spray stakes or drippers?
Only if pressure varies across the zone. On a short, level lateral fed through a regulator, non-PC stakes such as the Netafim Spray Stakes (Non-PC) or Button Dripper give even output at lower cost per point. Once the run is long, the ground slopes or you cannot hold pressure steady, PC emitters keep the first and last pot on the same flow. Netafim's Woodpecker PC compensates from 7 to 58 psi.
What filtration do spray stakes and button emitters need?
Disc or screen filtration ahead of every zone. Netafim recommends 120 mesh for its Woodpecker and Button drippers, and that is a sensible baseline for the other small-orifice emitters on this page. Wide-path designs like Netafim's Turbonet, the larger Dramm PCAS labyrinth and Antelco's CETA PC Take-Apart tolerate dirtier water, but none of them replaces a filter, especially on pond or well supplies.
How long can a lateral of spray stakes run?
It depends on flow per stake, pipe size and whether the stakes are PC. Netafim's published figure for non-PC stakes on 0.520 in. pipe is 215 ft at 3 gph and 145 ft at 7 gph, so a lower flow with a longer cycle reaches further. PC stakes hold flow up to 60 psi, which extends the usable run on long or sloping rows. Ask us about your layout when you request a quote.
What does anti-drain (CNL or PCND) do, and when is it worth it?
An anti-drain emitter seals when line pressure drops. Netafim's Woodpecker PC with CNL closes below about 5 ft of head and the Junior below 3.9 ft; the Rivulis Supertif PCND is the no-drain build of that dripper. On a slope this stops the lateral emptying into the lowest pots after every cycle, and the line is already full when the next cycle starts. On flat ground it is rarely needed.
Who does ML Irrigation sell to, and do you ship outside South Carolina?
We are a wholesale supplier to production nurseries and greenhouse operations, based in Fountain Inn, SC. We ship to growers in all 50 states and also supply horticulture education and research programs. We carry the Primerus, Netafim, Rivulis, Antelco, Dramm and Tavlit lines on this page side by side, so we can compare them for your block rather than push one badge. Send us the crop, pot count and water source and ask for a quote.
