Can sprinklers damage the look of a palm trunk?

[GMann]

I just planted this big Psuedophienix sargenti. What I like most about it are the rings around the trunk (see pic).

I have a sprinkler head right by it and I am wondering if the regular water spray will damage the appearance of the trunk?

If so, how can I convert this specific sprinkler head to simply soak the ground around it rather than spray water into the air? One low tech way would be to place a heavy rock on top of it to stop it from even popping out of the ground. But there must be some sort of head adapter you can screw on that would actually allow controlling the direction the water would pour in..

[Zeeth]

Depending on your water supply, yes. If you use well water, rust deposits will eventually build up on the trunk. With P. sargentii, you may also have issues with water on the trunk causing rot. You can buy conversion kits where you replace the head with an adapter for micro-sprinklers or a soaker hose, and I've had good luck with these. Googling "riser micro sprinkler conversion kit" can give you a few hits on the different types of these available.

[Missi]

My irrigation water gives everything it regularly touches a reddish brown sheen!! 

[Moose]

I have seen this species develop rot on the trunk when sprinkler water continually hits it. The palms survived but he unsightly lesions remained. My suggestion is to redirect your sprinkler. Once established this palm does not require any irrigation, the do just fine with what falls from the sky in South Florida

[Merlyn]

Probably the best way would be to convert that sprinkler head it to a dripline.  HD or Lowes sell a kit for around $10-15 that screws onto your existing sprinker line.  Just move a little dirt out from around the head, unscrew the current sprinkler, screw the kit in place and attach a section of 1/2" dripline.  You can route the dripline around your existing plants, and if a few areas need sprinklers instead of drippers then the 180 degree "fan" sprinklers on a stick do a pretty good job.

The Rain Bird RCKIT-1PS is an easy sprinkler head to drip line kit.  You may need a 3/4" to 1/2" adaptor, depending on your sprinkler head thread diameter.  You could also use the PRS05030S pressure regulator with the necessary adaptors.

[kurt decker]

Listen to Moose. It's a pseudophoenix. It hates water.

[Dave-Vero]

Blasting palm trunks with sprinkler water, as Moose noted, can be damaging.  To some extent, you can remedy that by changing sprinkler heads or otherwise redesigning the system.