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  • From: list@ginda.us
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Advice on drip irrigation
  • Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2006 23:16:25 -0400

I've also had mediocre success with soaker hose. After a season it develops "leaks", and most of the water flows through a few spots. I put in some emitters last year. I haven't tried turning them on yet this year, but there's no visible winter damage. They were great for getting baby trees started. I didn't even use a timer or anything - just turned the system on when it had been dry for a while.

Long term, my climate is damp enough that I don't expect to need irrigation for my trees. I do plan to irrigate again this year, because it was a very dry winter, and my trees were severely stressed by caterpillars and deer last year, so they are still getting started. I am using the widest-spreading emitter in the catalog for them, and I will irrigate rarely but deeply, in the hopes of encouraging the roots to grow down. Ask me in a few more years and I'll let you know how it goes.

Ginda
eastern Mass., zone 6

On Apr 2, 2006, at 10:06 PM, Michelle Horner wrote:

I only have 25 trees in a mixed dwarf orchard. I thought I was being so
clever. I mapped out and planned; permanently installed approximately 30 ft
per tree of soaker hose spiraled out from the trunk. I pinned it into place
with wire earthpins that I hand made over winter. I figured I could water 4
trees at a time with hoses from a 4 head diverter; even installed the
requisite pressure valve. Covered the hose with 6 inches of straw mulch.
Did the same in several flower and hosta beds. It was a complete bust. It
took me two summers to be enthused enough to clear the detritus. The soaker
hose was terrible; very irregular in its dripping patterns. I'll do it
again with the more suggested drip heads. I think they have improved these
a lot in the past 2 to 3 years. They've developed reliable plugs for the
hosing if you need to move the drip heads, timers to turn on/off that are
easy to adjust for different times of the year (drought/wet), etc. I just
need to redevelop the enthusiasm to reset the whole operation. SIGH.
Please learn from my mistakes!

Michelle Horner zone 4/5 SE WI

----- Original Message -----

Subject: [NAFEX] Advice on drip irrigation


I am interested in setting up a drip irrigation system for my fruit
trees in New Jersey (zone 6). I have two 30 ft rows w. trees spaced
every 5 feet. I am a little lost about how to start. While I am sure
that water needs vary by time of year/region, any general guidelines on
setting things up, volume of water to use, etc. Would a simple soaker
hose be just as good for my small operation?

Thanks.

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