Technique for watering trees in a drought zone...

[Wingnut]

While I was waiting for the welder to repair my motorbike today, I struck up a conversation with some hand who runs a business centered upon making things grow in the desert. I explained my situation and asked him a few questions, and he told me about a great technique to improve water delivery to the root ball of each tree, whether it's a pine tree or a fruit tree like those I have. It sounded like such a good idea that I reckon I'll share it with y'all, as it may help those of you dealing with the same drought conditions I have here. It will also help conserve water, while getting that same water directly to the root ball. Here's what he told me:

You take a "bulb auger" roughly 2' long and drill holes near the trunk of each tree... how many holes depends upon the size of the tree itself. The distance from the trunk also depends upon how large the tree is, the larger the tree the greater the distance, though we're generally talking about inches here. For a mature pine tree with a trunk over a foot in diameter, you might drill a foot away, maybe a little farther. You do NOT drill right next to any tree trunk, the object is to reach the root ball or mass underground without damaging the trunk or hitting large roots. Drill the holes the full length of the auger, any damage to smaller roots below will be negligible compared to the benefits... if some large root blocks the auger's path, drill elsewhere.

Once your holes are drilled, you take gravel and fill the holes... I chose 'River Rock' gravel which is slightly larger than pea gravel, as I think it'll allow more water into each hole. Then you apply water directly to the holes as you're watering your trees, and let each hole fill to overflowing... once the water drains, you can refill the hole for better effect. Using this system, you can get water directly to each root ball, where it'll do the most good. In the desert, you'll lose less water due to evaporation, wind, etc. The guy who told me about this system has successfully raised or salvaged trees which otherwise would've died due to drought. I'm looking forward to trying this technique, as it will help me water the trees more effectively AND conserve water too.

If anybody has tried this before, I'd like to hear about the results... those NOT living in a drought zone probably wouldn't bother trying this, but I'm willing to try it if it'll help me keep these 30 pine trees and several fruit trees alive. We're under drought conditions here, that's for sure, and I do NOT want to lose any trees on my property. As soon as my camera battery is fully charged (I let it run low), I will take a picture of the bulb auger so those unfamiliar with it can see what it looks like. It's roughly 2' long and it cost about $15 at Lowe's or the Home Depot... I bought mine at Lowe's today, I try to mix it up when shopping at those stores.

Oh, yeah, at first I was concerned about using the bulb auger in the hard stony ground here, but it shouldn't be a problem with the fruit trees, since I already dug large holes and amended the soil. The pines may be a bit more tricky, we'll see how it goes tomorrow morning... I may have to only drill so far, then use the auger to pull debris up out of each hole. Since the auger is basically a drill bit, I will probably use my corded drill rather than the cordless, and just run a couple of power cords out to the yard. I bought four bags of gravel for starters, but I also have existing gravel in the yard which I can use if I run out, yeah?

WELL, THAT'S IT FOR NOW, I'LL POST A SHOT OF THE BULB AUGER ONCE MY CAMERA BATTERY IS CHARGED... CHEERS!!!

Edit: Okay, camera battery is good to go, here's the bulb auger... roughly 2' long, not quite 3" in diameter.

 

[Caribou]

Have you considered a drip system? You could run a drip tube into each hole and then turn on the whole system for an hour twice a day. If you used 1 gallon/hr drippers you would have as many gallons as you have holes. They make automatic valves to turn the system on and off. Filling up a hundred holes, with a hose, twice a day, would get to be a pain.

 

[Wingnut]

Haha, I hear ya... but I'm only watering the fruit trees morning & evening, the pines don't get anywhere near as much water, I only hit 'em 2-3 times per week. I'm willing to try this system because the guy said it worked very well, and my primary concern with the pines is to keep 'em alive in this drought. I've noticed needles turning brown already, and I want to reverse that damage any way I can. If drilling a few holes will help save any or all of the pines, I'm all for trying it... I like my trees, even if they are NOT producers like the fruit trees. OTOH, Euell Gibbons used to eat pine cones, got a million of those out there, lol. I was burning them before it got too warm to have a fire, gonna burn more later when fall rolls around, they make great fire starters. Some cones and dried needles, and WHOOMPH!!! Instant bonfire, lol...

When I water the pines, I drag the hose around the entire yard, stopping halfway to switch valves, then I work my way back along my original course, switching valves again (I need to buy another hose, lol). In this way, each tree actually gets watered twice, but I'm thinking this hole-drilling system may boost the amount of water directly reaching each root ball or mass. I'm committed to trying it, as I'd like to keep what trees I have nice & healthy... don't wanna sling my Pawleys Island Hammock between dead trees, lol. If the system fails to work, well, I've only got so much invested in it... but I'm thinking it WILL work, the guy I talked to today has plenty of experience in the field, he has even done contract work on Holloman AFB because his methods work. He owns a warehouse on US70 with all kinds of fertilizers, additives, whatever... didn't strike me as a bullsh#tter either, lol.

Here in the high desert, water is at a premium, and the soil isn't so hot to begin with, though it can be amended and can support many trees. Look at the huge orchards & vineyards in the Tularosa Basin... granted, they have elaborate irrigation systems set up, something like what you described, so every drop of water is applied exactly where it needs to be applied. That is what I'm trying to do here, just maximize the effect of watering when I do water, without wasting heaps of water or losing it due to wind, evaporation, etc. I reckon I'll try this method and see if it makes any difference... I already have little berms around each tree to hold water over the root ball, but this sounds like a good way to get that water down where it's needed most, and I'm willing to drill some holes with the bulb auger. Worst-case scenario: the soil around a pine is so rocky that the auger won't work, in which case I'm back where I started.

 

[Amish Heart]

Make sure you have a good sized "water well" that you have made around each tree to hold water. That helps

 

[Biggkidd]

Something I've done is dry times is to use a 5 gallon bucket. Drill a very small hole in the bottom and set the bucket where you need water and fill it up. The water comes out slowly enough to soak in the ground. Fill them once or twice a day as needed. It really works well.

 

[Neb]

While I was waiting for the welder to repair my motorbike today, I struck up a conversation with some hand who runs a business centered upon making things grow in the desert. I explained my situation and asked him a few questions, and he told me about a great technique to improve water delivery to the root ball of each tree, whether it's a pine tree or a fruit tree like those I have. It sounded like such a good idea that I reckon I'll share it with y'all, as it may help those of you dealing with the same drought conditions I have here. It will also help conserve water, while getting that same water directly to the root ball. Here's what he told me:

You take a "bulb auger" roughly 2' long and drill holes near the trunk of each tree... how many holes depends upon the size of the tree itself. The distance from the trunk also depends upon how large the tree is, the larger the tree the greater the distance, though we're generally talking about inches here. For a mature pine tree with a trunk over a foot in diameter, you might drill a foot away, maybe a little farther. You do NOT drill right next to any tree trunk, the object is to reach the root ball or mass underground without damaging the trunk or hitting large roots. Drill the holes the full length of the auger, any damage to smaller roots below will be negligible compared to the benefits... if some large root blocks the auger's path, drill elsewhere.

Once your holes are drilled, you take gravel and fill the holes... I chose 'River Rock' gravel which is slightly larger than pea gravel, as I think it'll allow more water into each hole. Then you apply water directly to the holes as you're watering your trees, and let each hole fill to overflowing... once the water drains, you can refill the hole for better effect. Using this system, you can get water directly to each root ball, where it'll do the most good. In the desert, you'll lose less water due to evaporation, wind, etc. The guy who told me about this system has successfully raised or salvaged trees which otherwise would've died due to drought. I'm looking forward to trying this technique, as it will help me water the trees more effectively AND conserve water too.

If anybody has tried this before, I'd like to hear about the results... those NOT living in a drought zone probably wouldn't bother trying this, but I'm willing to try it if it'll help me keep these 30 pine trees and several fruit trees alive. We're under drought conditions here, that's for sure, and I do NOT want to lose any trees on my property. As soon as my camera battery is fully charged (I let it run low), I will take a picture of the bulb auger so those unfamiliar with it can see what it looks like. It's roughly 2' long and it cost about $15 at Lowe's or the Home Depot... I bought mine at Lowe's today, I try to mix it up when shopping at those stores.

Oh, yeah, at first I was concerned about using the bulb auger in the hard stony ground here, but it shouldn't be a problem with the fruit trees, since I already dug large holes and amended the soil. The pines may be a bit more tricky, we'll see how it goes tomorrow morning... I may have to only drill so far, then use the auger to pull debris up out of each hole. Since the auger is basically a drill bit, I will probably use my corded drill rather than the cordless, and just run a couple of power cords out to the yard. I bought four bags of gravel for starters, but I also have existing gravel in the yard which I can use if I run out, yeah?

WELL, THAT'S IT FOR NOW, I'LL POST A SHOT OF THE BULB AUGER ONCE MY CAMERA BATTERY IS CHARGED... CHEERS!!!

Edit: Okay, camera battery is good to go, here's the bulb auger... roughly 2' long, not quite 3" in diameter.

View attachment 85834

Interesting widget. I am a sucker to cool tools.

Not really needed in SW PA since we can get by on rain. I have to figure a license.

Ben

 

[Wingnut]

If I ever get around to planting bulbs, it'll come in handy, lol... I'm looking forward to trying it tomorrow, particularly on the fruit trees and those pines which need help the most. Many of the pines are doing fine, but several are struggling... not only will I drill holes round those trees and fill 'em with gravel, I'm gonna spread some steer manure too, that may help with the nutrients. When it comes to steer manure application, you might say I'm a big bullsh#tter, lol...

 

[Weedygarden]

I like this idea. Clay soil is hard to get it to absorb water.

 

[Wingnut]

I'm not gonna go overboard, I'm gonna start with the fruit trees and get them set up with the bonus irrigation, then do those pines that need it most. I certainly don't expect to get all the trees done right away, it'll take some time to get all the holes drilled... but I'm gonna start tomorrow, because that guy made a positive impression on me. He really knew about dealing with specific problems related to drought, very knowledgeable in that field with a track record to prove it. I'm thinking that our chance encounter was actually meant to happen, as I believe in "natural progression"---things happen or don't happen for a reason. I was already considering possible solutions to the problems here on my property, and BAM!!! Here comes a guy who has spent much of his life growing trees in the desert, lol. Serendipity? I think not... this meeting was cosmically preordained, lol.

Good news is this: the pines suffering the most from drought are at the southern end of my property, where the soil seems to be much easier to dig or drill, nowhere near as rocky as the northern end. So that should make tomorrow's task a bit easier... and the Harbor Freight dolly will come in handy for relocating those heavy sacks of gravel. I'm not weak by any means, but why NOT use mechanical advantage? Same goes for sailing, where mechanical advantage is king, lol...

 

[Wingnut]

Well, I made a good start, but the chuck for my corded drill is too small for the auger bit, so I've been using the cordless drill, which means I'm limited to each battery charge. On top of that, the 18v battery seems to be going kaput, I recharged it once and it kept me on task, but now the battery is super hot and the charger is not flashing red as it should when the battery is charging. Does this mean the battery is kaput? Or is the little charging bulb simply out? I don't like the battery being so hot, can't recall a battery ever doing that... maybe one of you knows the answer. Worst-case scenario, I grind the auger bit enough to make it fit the chuck in the corded drill, lol.

As for the auger itself, it works pretty well, the whole key is choosing the right spot... if ya run up on roots, just backfill the hole and try elsewhere. In the right location, the auger bores right down into the soil, no worries, though ya may have to clear the auger bit of dirt each time ya bring up a "core sample." Tap it against the tree trunk, or tap it against the handy bag of gravel, either way the dirt will fall right off the auger. I did about a dozen trees already, now the battery issue is slowing me down... I hope the stupid battery hasn't gone kaput on me, I don't need any more expenses right now, lol. I'll grind the heck out of that auger bit to make it fit the corded drill if that's necessary, whatever it takes to get the job done.

Anyway, I'm having a cold beer after several hours of drilling and filling holes... I also dug pits for my weed seedlings and put 'em in the ground, I did that when the battery was charging the first time. Maybe that battery is sh!thouse, I've had that cordless drill for many years and it has always been reliable, but then again, I don't use it as often as someone like Hashbrown, who's building stuff all the time. I suppose I can always buy another battery, meant to do that anyway so I'd have a spare, but the corded drill was always my go-to backup drill, so I never did buy a spare battery for the cordless. My kind of drill usage is sporadic, it's not like I'm working construction and I need it all the time, though I did work construction in my youth.

I'm excited by the prospect of this drilling technique working with the trees, I already watered those I did this morning, just to give 'em a boost with the new delivery system. Some of those holes were spot on, nearly 2' deep right down to where there were plenty of smaller roots, and once they were filled with gravel, that water went right to where it needed to be. I'm hoping those trees which are showing signs of stress from the drought will make a comeback, kinda like Dennis Conner going Down Under to take back the America's Cup, lol. We'll see what happens, I figure it can't hurt to try, and aerating the soil with drill holes probably won't hurt either, not with the gravel in there. Okay, I'm back to my cold beer, it tastes good despite the fairly early hour...

 

[Wingnut]

Hmm, I just checked the battery & charger, now the battery is cool and the charging light is flashing... that was weird, with the battery getting all hot, can't be a good sign. I'm gonna see if it'll hold a charge, I'd like to do a few more trees today if I can, tomorrow is air show day but I can water early if I get more holes done today. Maybe hit 'em today AND tomorrow, just to boost water delivery to the root systems on those trees which need it most. I'm pretty sure I can turn things around and save every last tree with this new method... I like what I've seen so far with water draining directly down those holes toward the root ball or mass below, seems like a surefire way to supply each tree with water.

 

[Neb]

Hmm, I just checked the battery & charger, now the battery is cool and the charging light is flashing... that was weird, with the battery getting all hot, can't be a good sign. I'm gonna see if it'll hold a charge, I'd like to do a few more trees today if I can, tomorrow is air show day but I can water early if I get more holes done today. Maybe hit 'em today AND tomorrow, just to boost water delivery to the root systems on those trees which need it most. I'm pretty sure I can turn things around and save every last tree with this new method... I like what I've seen so far with water draining directly down those holes toward the root ball or mass below, seems like a surefire way to supply each tree with water.

My DeWalt 20v batteries will not charge when too got or cold. The chargers have an extra light to indicate they are hot or cold.

Ben

 

[Wingnut]

Yeah, maybe this drill isn't the best choice for drilling these holes with the auger... however, it's getting the job done, I just have to wait till the super-heated battery cools off to charge it, lol. I'm thinking the battery has about seen its day, but maybe it'll last long enough for me to finish the holes. This is a NiCad battery (says NiCd), I can't remember ever having this overheating issue before with this type of battery... meh, I got a few more trees done before it ran down this time, I'll water 'em tonight because it's starting to get hot out there, lol. Supposed to be something like 93 for tomorrow's air show...

All in all, I'm happy with my progress, I think I got about half the trees done, though some which are doing alright only got one hole for now, I can always add holes later if necessary. Trees that are stressed from the drought got three holes, and I'll fill all of those tonight as I water... probably leave the hose in place on the south end to water again tomorrow morning, prior to getting cleaned up and going to the air show. Gonna need more gravel too, I went ahead and finished off those four bags I bought yesterday. I do have existing gravel in the yard, but it'd probably be easier just to buy more bags.

Ah, well, it's a project, and I believe I'm catching this whole problem in time before the weather REALLY gets hot, up in the triple-digit realm, lol. I was worried about the browning of some needles due to dryness, but if I can just keep the trees going until monsoon season, they should be alright. Rainfall projections aren't that promising though, something to consider, and also the reason why I'm taking what may seem to some like drastic steps. I like my trees, man... not necessarily a tree-hugger, lol, but I'm trying to be a good steward to the land, aye? That's about all anybody with a conscience can do...

I'M BACK TO MY COLD BEER, I TOOK ANOTHER SHOWER TO RINSE OFF AND THIS FAN FEELS GOOD...

 

[Caribou]

I expect that your job is causing a really heavy drain on your battery. That will cause the battery to heat up. You might take a break between holes to let the battery and drill cool. The heat is really hard on power tools.

 

[Wingnut]

Yeah, I copy that... this drill is more suited to light work, not heavy-duty drilling into the crust of the earth, lol. It's just an old Chicago Electric cordless drill, nothing fancy, I've had it for 15 or 20 years. The corded drill is a Ryobi, it might fare better than the Chine-Cago model, lol.

I will bear your advice in mind and slow down a bit between holes, I'm just fired up to get this done because I think it might make a huge difference in water supply or delivery to these trees. I'm tryin' to go easy on the cordless drill, but it's a rather chumpish piece of equipment compared to the burly Bosch and Hilti drills I used in the past, lol.

Story of my life, don'tcha know? Always rolling downhill, but hey, at least it's FASTER, LOL. I could easily drag POLITICS into this post, but what's the use? Kinda like the NFL... I just stopped believing in it, lol. And the good folks here certainly don't need to hear any more political BS, lol. God forbid!!!

Edit: My good friend "T-Bone" from the old surf shop still has his U.S.-made metal Milwaukee grinder, that thing is bulletproof. For many years (well, a few decades anyway), this hand used that grinder to repair boards. Nice piece of equipment, the Milwaukee grinder, it really held its own back in the day. "T-Bone" was the master of that grinder, lol... 🛠

 

[Cabin Fever]

Something I've done is dry times is to use a 5 gallon bucket. Drill a very small hole in the bottom and set the bucket where you need water and fill it up. The water comes out slowly enough to soak in the ground. Fill them once or twice a day as needed. It really works well.

^this^

 

[Wingnut]

I may employ that bucket technique in the future, depends upon what happens with regular watering... I'm just kicking it with a cold one right now, gotta let it cool off outside before I even THINK about watering, lol. However, a shot of rum sounds pretty damn good right about now... this IS Friday, right? Tell me I haven't lost track of the days YET AGAIN, LOL.

I'm thinking early-onset Alzheimer's here, wouldn't be the FIRST TIME such annoying BS has INTERFERED with my LIFE, and that includes my SOCIAL LIFE, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, FRIDAY!!! WOOHOO!!! HOT DAMN!!! Oops, got carried away there... these things happen, and as long as there's no bowel movement or evacuation we're good to go, LOL. Damn, that's just WRONG, what's the matter with people nowadays?!? I'd better sign off for a bit, the beer & weed are catching up to me, lol. Meh...

 

[Cabin Fever]

Wingnut, for some reason you remind me of Earnest T. Bass.....

 

[Wingnut]

Wait a minute... that's PEANUT!!!

 

[Supervisor42]

Have you considered a drip system? You could run a drip tube into each hole and then turn on the whole system for an hour twice a day. If you used 1 gallon/hr drippers you would have as many gallons as you have holes. They make automatic valves to turn the system on and off. Filling up a hundred holes, with a hose, twice a day, would get to be a pain.

+1
This is the way the pros in Nevada do it.
You never saw anybody watering anything, but everything was magically green.
Use a timer and cheap hose.
This is ideal if the capacity of the water supply system is limited also.
Trust me, nobody is in the shower between 2am and 4am. (lowest evaporation time too)
I used a timer when I had a garden.
Never saw it run.... but even the ragweeds around it were 6' tall.

 

[Wingnut]

Wait a minute... I'VE been in the shower between 0200-0400, when I was lucky there was a gal in there with me, lol.

But y'all mistake me for some RICH SWELL, when in reality I'm a complete broked!ck, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Damn, that's just WRONG, but I LUV Y'ALL just THAT much, LOL. Okay, back to my cold alcoholic beverage...

 

[INresponse]

For established trees dig, or auger, a hole a 2 feet deep two or three feet away from the trunk. Place a 30” long 2 or 3 inch diameter drain tile pipe (the kind with the holes) into the hole and refill the dirt around the pipe. Create a 3” tall berm around the tree, maybe 3 or 4 foot diameter. Slowly fill the pipe with water until it is near the top of the berm. The pipe will allow the water to soak down towards the root ball.
For planting new trees, do the same thingbit if possible bury a longer pipe deeper, maybe 3 or 4 feet deep. Just leave enough pipe above ground to keep debris out of the pipe.
if you think you need two pipes across from each other bury two pipes.

 

[Wingnut]

Funny, I was just thinking that this morning, as the pipe might be cheaper than the $5 sacks of gravel (which add up). I just watered the trees, and they got several doses of water down each gravel tube, so I'm thinking they're gonna be happy from now onward, lol.

 

[Bacpacker]

The pipe is a good idea. Will have more water volume without the gravel.
Great thread.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I'm planning on installing loops of drip emitter line around each tree and then place mulch over them.

My idea is if it is easy to connect I can water all my trees as part of my normal watering system and then disconnect them to mow and do maintenance.

 

[INresponse]

Occasionally when you stick the hose into the pipe shove it down to the bottom so it will purge the dirt and debris and maintain the open space within the pipe.

 

[INresponse]

I'm planning on installing loops of drip emitter line around each tree and then place mulch over them.
View attachment 85954
My idea is if it is easy to connect I can water all my trees as part of my normal watering system and then disconnect them to mow and do maintenance.

If you have a lawn the ground should be soft enough to dig down 3 or 4 inches the bury the pipe and you wont have to move it to mow. If you have a helper just dig down and push the shovel to one side far enough to place the water line then let the dirt back and step on it to pack it down. If you are just referring to occasional brush hogging than your way may be easier.

 

[LadyLocust]

@Wingnut Have you looked at ollas/oyas?

 

[UrbanHunter]

If you have a lawn the ground should be soft enough to dig down 3 or 4 inches the bury the pipe and you wont have to move it to mow. If you have a helper just dig down and push the shovel to one side far enough to place the water line then let the dirt back and step on it to pack it down. If you are just referring to occasional brush hogging than your way may be easier.

We have clay and stone, digging down even a few inches requires a pick, and if it is going to be there in the winter it would need to be at least 15" down or it would freeze the line. I am just going to make a short line with a male and a female end for each tree, the emitter line (s) will be connected to that and all the trees will be daisy chained together using 4 short hoses. If I do it right I can push the hose over 6" as I mow and then kick it back when I'm on the other side. I'm not wanting to over think this one.

I did try what you are talking about and it was okay for 1 tree, till the fittings split due to freezing, it created a lot of extra work for me in the long run.

 

[Magus]

My aunt collected rain water in a drum with a spigot, we'd buy a cheap garden hose and cap it, drill some 1/8" holes ever 6" and bury it about a foot deep, then replace it ever decade or so.