Sprayer How Should I Get Water To The Trees?

[GGB]

TBNer's,

I think I've developed a brain lockup. With all this heat and no rain since early this month (my apologies to all in the parts of the country that haven't seen anything since last year-I just can't imagine what your going through...), I need to water the new trees we planted last fall. The trees are within 60 feet of two ponds, and I've been just filling a 55 gallon drum and hauling the water, but it just takes forever by the time I fill, deliver, and slowly water so it doesn't just run off.

So, I'd really like to pump from the pond, either into the drum and let slowly water, or even just use a garden hose hooked to a pump. What's the concensus on getting a roller pump for my JD 2210 or a small gas powered trash pump, or something else entirely? At this point, I've confused myself.

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

GGB

 

[CompactTractorFan]

TBNer's,

I think I've developed a brain lockup. With all this heat and no rain since early this month (my apologies to all in the parts of the country that haven't seen anything since last year-I just can't imagine what your going through...), I need to water the new trees we planted last fall. The trees are within 60 feet of two ponds, and I've been just filling a 55 gallon drum and hauling the water, but it just takes forever by the time I fill, deliver, and slowly water so it doesn't just run off.

So, I'd really like to pump from the pond, either into the drum and let slowly water, or even just use a garden hose hooked to a pump. What's the concensus on getting a roller pump for my JD 2210 or a small gas powered trash pump, or something else entirely? At this point, I've confused myself.

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

GGB

I would get a gas-powered water pump...IMO

You probably only need a semi-trash with a strainer...

 

[kebo]

Here's what I would probably do.... get a gas powered pump and a 55 gal drum for each tree. Puncture a small hole on one end of each drum, close to the rim of the drum and set the hole in each drum as close as you can to each tree. Run garden hoses from the pump to the fill holes on top of the drums's, using enough "Y" adapters (or 1 into 4 splitters). Run the pump as long as it takes to fill the drums, and shut it off. Let the water drain slowly out of the holes to water each tree. Repeat the last step as often as necessary.

That would work as a temporary solution, just a matter of getting the pump, the adapters, the hoses, and as many drums as you needed. Good luck!

 

[bcp]

The cheap way:

Use a 5 gallon bucket, with a small hole in it, at each tree. You can fill it rapidly, then go to the next tree while the bucket may take 15-30 minutes to drain, with no runoff.

Bruce

 

[Carykong]

I water with a 150 gallon plastic water container on a pallet on my tractor forks. I dismount at each tree and discharge about 10 gallons and move to next. I did this for 60 walnut trees. The taproot on these trees (now 10 years old) is so developed that watering is not necessary even in very dry conditions. Not sure that a hose and pump will realy save you that much labor. Ya still have to discharge the water manually at each tree.

 

[Fixemall]

Get a cheap gas powered trash pump from Harbor Freight ($129) and lightly flood the area every couple of days...also be thankful you are not watering over 6,000 plants like I am...

 

[jake98]

tankdepot.com has lots of shapes and sizes. I bought a 500 gal. truck tank from them and was happy with the transaction.

 

[Travelover]

Not sure how many trees you have to water, but here is a cheap solution I invented. Pound in two 4 foot long 2x2 stakes about 2 feet apart at the base of the tree. Put a trash bag with the plastic draw string between the stakes with the string handles hooked around the tops of the stakes. Stick a second bag inside the first one and loop the draw string around the stake tops, too. Fill the inner bag with water, then stick a small nail into the bottom to allow for a slow leak.

I just used a small 12 volt HF electric water pump to fill the bags with 10 or so gallons.

 

[amaxwell]

The cheap way:

Use a 5 gallon bucket, with a small hole in it, at each tree. You can fill it rapidly, then go to the next tree while the bucket may take 15-30 minutes to drain, with no runoff.

Bruce

I also water my 30 small pine trees this way. Got the buckets from Home Depot,and drilled a 3/16 hole in each. I fill them from a 275 gal. container that once contained a non-toxic chemical I got off craigs list cheep ($60)

 

[b2910]

TBNer's,

I think I've developed a brain lockup. With all this heat and no rain since early this month (my apologies to all in the parts of the country that haven't seen anything since last year-I just can't imagine what your going through...), I need to water the new trees we planted last fall. The trees are within 60 feet of two ponds, and I've been just filling a 55 gallon drum and hauling the water, but it just takes forever by the time I fill, deliver, and slowly water so it doesn't just run off.

So, I'd really like to pump from the pond, either into the drum and let slowly water, or even just use a garden hose hooked to a pump. What's the concensus on getting a roller pump for my JD 2210 or a small gas powered trash pump, or something else entirely? At this point, I've confused myself.

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

GGB

Although it is not completely clear to me how big the trees are, how far from each other, etc. I would be concerned about the pinhole-in-the-bucket technique not providing enough water all around the drip line of the tree. If your lakes are doing well, and you are not super concerned about running dry I would think a more thorough watering with a sprinkler near the tree that only sprays about to the drip line and pumping water to it long enough to give a good soaking every week or two would be better. Or build an earth berm to contain the water and run an open hose to it for a few minutes. If you have a lot of trees I would be thinking of using some inexpensive black PVC with spray heads interconnected to as many trees as you can push water to. A regular lawn pump would be sufficient to pump the water if you can get electricity to it easily enough. A 230v 1/2 hp pump won't draw much current so you can run a long line to it with a small amount of voltage drop, probably 300 to 500 feet of 12 gauge if you have power that close.

My overall problem with the hole in the bucket technique is that the water only falls in one small spot, the tree will grow its roots there and never be well rooted. However I am not any sort of expert in this matter. Be thankful you have lakes with water, that seems to be a big part of the solution.