Tree Watering Systems

With the price of trees a watering system is becoming a must have for the establishment of larger specimens.

For successful watering the roots must be encouraged to grow downwards so that they not only provide water and nutrients for the tree but also a secure anchorage.

For this reason trees are often irrigated as a separate zone to enable the trees to be given a long watering occasionally.

We have three main systems for watering trees and larger shrubs

1) Orchard Watering. This system is used when you have a lot of smaller trees that require irrigating. The plants will be about 2-3 years old and in a pot up to 30 litres or bare root. A pipe is taken to each tree and a pressure compensated dripper is placed either side about 30cm either side. This will keep the watering even. The pressure compensated dripper will keep the watering even at each tree, the pressure reduces the further you go away from the water source. Each dripper has an output of 2 litres per hour so for every 1 hr 10mins the system is on for 1 gallon will be delivered.

2) Adjustable out put dripper. With larger trees a piece of drainage pipe is buried as the tree is planted, with a loop at the base. This not only allows for water to be delivered to the root ball base but it also enables a better supply of O2 to the roots giving faster establishment. To get the water down to the roots a greater amount of water needs to be applied so that in these circumstances an adjustable out put dripper will be used on an open setting giving 15-20 litres per hours.
Depending on the size of the scheme a 16 or 20 pipe will be taken close to each tree.

3) Root zone irrigation system. This is a ready made system that comes in three versions depending on the tree size. It is pre-assembled and comes with a baffle system so that so that water is distributed up and down the soil profile with most going lower down. The pressure compensated bubbler is built in and on sloping sites can be fitted with a check valve to stop all the water going to the lowest point.