North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Michael Dossett <phainopepla@yahoo.com>]

Sue,

I wouldn't worry too much about it after leaf fall. 
It is important that the ground be a little wet going
into the winter as having the tree take up water this
time of year will help protect the plant against some
dessication over the winter.  Once the leaves fall,
however, there is essentially little or no water
movement in the tree anymore.  Evaporation from the
leaf surfaces is actually what drives the uptake of
water from the roots, so without leaves, water won't
be used by the plant nearly as quickly.

Michael


--- Sue Christensen <sue@hoodel.com> wrote:

> 
> I have about 18 trees planted in my small fruit
> orchard--apple and 
> pear only so far-- and the beginnings of a nut
> orchard.  These trees 
> all went in March 07 and have been hand watered by
> hose weekly due to 
> the ongoing drought in the Mid-Atlantic. I think we
> may have had one 
> week where watering wasn't absolutely required.
> 
> Our OLD farmhouse has no external spigots, so we
> have to run a hose 
> up from the cellar on the far side of the house and
> add enough 100 ft 
> hose extensions to get past the veg garden to the
> orchard. I think we 
> have 4 extensions with a fifth to reach the nuts. 
> What do you do 
> about watering after leaf fall? Do you?  I can
> imagine the difficulty 
> with trying to schlep a cold inflexible hose out
> there after temps 
> fall drastically.
> 
> I'd be interested in finding out how you keep your
> established trees 
> watered year round. I  don't *think* I see
> irrigation systems being 
> used in the commercial orchards on the hills around
> me, but I could 
> be wrong.
> Does rain normally take care of most orchards in a
> normal year or is 
> it nearly always required to supplement the weather
> by our own 
> efforts?
> 
> Sue
> Adams County. PA zone 6
> Normal rainfall @ 42-44".  2007 rain to date-22"
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Michael Dossett
Corvallis, Oregon
www.Mdossettphoto.com
phainopepla@yahoo.com


       
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