How do I water newly planted trees w/out a water source? - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How do I water newly planted trees w/out a water source?

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:33:31 AM EDT

Wanting to plant a line of trees to act as a windbreak, however I have no available water anywhere near where I want to plant them (~600 ft away from house). What's the best way to keep them watered? Was thinking maybe a 250g tank on a trailer w/ some drip lines, then refill the tank as needed? I'm at a loss

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:34:08 AM EDT

[#1]

Gator bags

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:37:10 AM EDT

[#2]

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Gator bags

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Interesting, didn't know that existed. How often would those need refilled? I'd need a lot though

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:37:42 AM EDT

[#3]

Sounds like a water trailer would be your best bet until they get established. Unless you want to buy a bunch of hoses to go that 600 ft, which would be a hassle. Or trenching the 600 feet to add the irrigation, which would also be a hassle, but at least you would have permanent water to the tree line to help during dry periods. Do you already have the trailer?

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:39:00 AM EDT

[#4]

You might have to make more than one trip, though.

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:39:22 AM EDT

[#5]

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Quoted:
Sounds like a water trailer would be your best bet until they get established. Unless you want to buy a bunch of hoses to go that 600 ft, which would be a hassle. Or trenching the 600 feet to add the irrigation, which would also be a hassle, but at least you would have permanent water to the tree line to help during dry periods. Do you already have the trailer?

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I have a small trailer 5x8, should work for this scenario, but would hate to not be able to use it also

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:51:01 AM EDT

[#6]

Just run some polyethylene water line over to it on the surface. Be like 200bucks

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:52:33 AM EDT

[#7]

pee pee

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:54:55 AM EDT

[#8]

water tank roughly the size you want to water each time. Or smaller, of course. Put it in the trailer, fill it, haul it out there and empty it. That way you can fairly easily get it in and out of the trailer empty and use the trailer for other stuff.

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:55:19 AM EDT

[#9]

First of all, you should only water them once a week. This is only for their first summer. They need a good, deep soak, so make a nice dish out of sod around each one. Deep, infrequent watering makes them send their roots deep.

I’ve always saved the 5 gal buckets with lids from sealcoating the driveway. I put six of them in the garden trailer behind my riding mower, fill them at the hose and haul it out to them.

And don’t forget to take water when planting. Dig the hole deeper than the roots, back fill, make the water holding dish, and fill with water. May take a couple of fills. When there’s water standing around the tree, push your hand down in the muck until no more air bubbles come up. Have to get that air out from around the roots, or they won’t survive.

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:56:24 AM EDT

[#10]

Watering young trees with a 5 gallon bucket

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igz-YfZodQw

Seen it but never tried it

Posted: 3/2/2020 11:57:44 AM EDT

[#11]

bulk cube, food grade. get one with a valve. i see them around here for $60. we refill at city water plant for $.25.make use of you trailer, at 5x8 it's not good for much.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:00:00 PM EDT

[#12]

I have a 100 or so bare root trees that I planted and never watered out in a field. Some will die, but most hang on. They will be just fine unless we have a huge drought and even then most pine trees can survive.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:01:20 PM EDT

[#13]

I got one of those 275 gallon totes you see everywhere. Craigslist is full of them for 30-40 dollars.

Another way that worked for me in the past was to get 5 gallon buckets, drill a small hole in the side down low, right at the bottom and attach about a foot of small rubber hose. I am talking small, like 1/4 inch ID. Set the bucket next to the tree with the end of the hose laying at its base. I would fill the buckets every other day and they would slowly water the tree via the hose. 5 gallons being slowly released so the ground had time to soak it up worked really well for me.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:01:48 PM EDT

[#14]

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:05:31 PM EDT

[#15]

Ditch witch, yard hydrant, poly line. When you figure the one-time cost against the cost and time of regular watering, I think you break even, but then you have water out there.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:13:11 PM EDT

[#16]

Stack some rocks.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:15:27 PM EDT

[#17]

What is a line of trees 5, 50, 500?

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:17:18 PM EDT

[#18]

I'd run a plastic line as previously mentioned. Bury it where you need to drive over it. Install drip system at each tree. Inexpensive and semi-permanent.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:20:30 PM EDT

[#19]

drip bucket...drill a couple of VERY small holes (just big enough for water to "seep/drip"), but then you still have to get the water to the buckets...

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:21:01 PM EDT

[#20]

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I have a 100 or so bare root trees that I planted and never watered out in a field. Some will die, but most hang on. They will be just fine unless we have a huge drought and even then most pine trees can survive.

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It all depends on your investment. Bare root seedlings are by far the cheapest, so a lower survival rate won’t break the bank.

Even if you’re not going to water through the first season, planting with water and getting that air out from the hole is going to go a long way.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:22:19 PM EDT

[#21]

According to Bloomberg, It's so simple, a dimocrap could do it.

COME ON, MAN!

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:33:20 PM EDT

[#22]

put you 1-4 5 gallon buckets per tree out by the trees. The rain will fill them up, hopefully.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:36:15 PM EDT

[#23]

Don't you guys have normal rainy time of year in IL?

Plant them right before that, once the roots are established they will do fine on their own.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:36:45 PM EDT

[#24]

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bulk cube, food grade. get one with a valve. i see them around here for $60. we refill at city water plant for $.25.make use of you trailer, at 5x8 it's not good for much.

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This is what we use at my buddy's place where we hunt. The cube sits on a cheap, used utility trailer he picked up from somewhere and whenever we plant trees we fill it (hose) then drive around and water them every week or two until they're doing well enough on their own. We'll water the fruit trees when we're having dry spells too. Simple, cheap and effective for areas where you can't really run irrigation.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:38:42 PM EDT

[#25]

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pee pee

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Drink more water

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:40:47 PM EDT

[#26]

Just go to Drip Depot. Get the kit plus a thousand feet of Poly hose for cheap if you dont want to run your own little gravity feed.

eta IBC tote tanks if you can.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:41:01 PM EDT

[#27]

IIRC you really want to abstain from watering new trees unless absolutely necessary because you want to encourage the roots to stretch

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:44:34 PM EDT

[#28]

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IIRC you really want to abstain from watering new trees unless absolutely necessary because you want to encourage the roots to stretch

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Incorrect, first 4-5 days Rootball and surrounding so it establishes, then slowly reduce it of 6ish weeks then as needed based on conditions

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:49:05 PM EDT

[#29]

Water pump and one of these.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/utms-275-gal-intermediate-bulk-container?cm_vc=-10005

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:49:38 PM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
Incorrect, first 4-5 days Rootball and surrounding so it establishes, then slowly reduce it of 6ish weeks then as needed based on conditions

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Quoted:

Quoted:
IIRC you really want to abstain from watering new trees unless absolutely necessary because you want to encourage the roots to stretch

Incorrect, first 4-5 days Rootball and surrounding so it establishes, then slowly reduce it of 6ish weeks then as needed based on conditions

We were always told to instruct owners that any new trees or plants needed to be watered daily for at least a week.

Although it might not matter much around here because we tend to get regular rain and the soil stays quite damp, the idea was that the stress of planting took some time to subside and once the roots started to venture out of the root ball they would be fine on their own.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:50:27 PM EDT

[#31]

Quote History

Quoted:
Incorrect, first 4-5 days Rootball and surrounding so it establishes, then slowly reduce it of 6ish weeks then as needed based on conditions

View Quote View All Quotes

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
IIRC you really want to abstain from watering new trees unless absolutely necessary because you want to encourage the roots to stretch

Incorrect, first 4-5 days Rootball and surrounding so it establishes, then slowly reduce it of 6ish weeks then as needed based on conditions

Ahh okay thanks

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:50:59 PM EDT

[#32]

600' of garden hose and however many feet of soaker line needed.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:53:44 PM EDT

[#33]

Get a bunch of liberals to stand around your trees and remind them trump is still their president.

Posted: 3/2/2020 12:56:10 PM EDT

[#34]

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Don't you guys have normal rainy time of year in IL?

Plant them right before that, once the roots are established they will do fine on their own.

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Yeah, all year long. Odd droughts from time to time but otherwise there is no dry season. I suppose mid to late summer is the driest time when it's hot enough to dry out soil and require regular watering but most years we have too much rain.

Posted: 3/2/2020 1:03:42 PM EDT

[#35]

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Quoted:
Yeah, all year long. Odd droughts from time to time but otherwise there is no dry season. I suppose mid to late summer is the driest time when it's hot enough to dry out soil and require regular watering but most years we have too much rain.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Don't you guys have normal rainy time of year in IL?

Plant them right before that, once the roots are established they will do fine on their own.

Yeah, all year long. Odd droughts from time to time but otherwise there is no dry season. I suppose mid to late summer is the driest time when it's hot enough to dry out soil and require regular watering but most years we have too much rain.

Get them in the ground next month right before the spring rains, when the ground stays really wet after the thaw, and they will likely be fine by the time mid summer rolls around.

Posted: 3/2/2020 1:35:11 PM EDT

[#36]

Water cubes and drip lines, but I also knew a guy who had 55 gallon barrels with drip holes in the bottom. He put one around each tree and refilled it on the weekends.

Either way, it's a massive pain in the ass. Are you sure you want to do it. Some place like Oregon is gonna be a hell of a lot easier than Texas.

You can always do like the highway department, plant 100 saplings and hope 2 or 3 survive.

Posted: 3/2/2020 1:37:06 PM EDT

[#37]

I think I just came up with a brilliant plan for this.

Go take the tractor and push a bunch of snow up near where you want to put the trees.

Then plant them when the overnights are safe for it.

The melting snow into May will then acts as a watering system the trees.

Posted: 3/2/2020 1:46:23 PM EDT

[#38]

Bury an un-glazed terra cotta jar next to the root ball of each tree. Fill with water once a week.

https://wateruseitwisely.com/olla-irrigation/

Buy an RV water tote to strap on your 4-wheeler.

Posted: 3/2/2020 1:49:18 PM EDT

[#39]

Cheapest would be the 50ft $5.99 garden hose from big lots or what ever discount store you have.
600ft rolls of 1" well pipe was the cheapest used for more permanent temporary water supply on jobsites

Posted: 3/2/2020 1:50:14 PM EDT

[#40]

You could spend $100 on garden hose or the better solution would be to spend $200 on a hydrologic ram pump.

Posted: 3/2/2020 1:52:56 PM EDT

[#41]

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Just run some polyethylene water line over to it on the surface. Be like 200bucks

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This is what we did as landscape contractors … 500 lf rolls of 1/2 black pipe … tie wrap off to each tree and poke hole in pipe , turn on when needed .

Trash pipe when trees are good … tried water hoses but they always got stolen