I have about 50 fruit trees - most under five years in the ground - but a few older. I have run a 1" plastic black pipe line, 1/4 mile to my orchard, split at the orchard and run a hose off one of the splits and off the end of the hose, run a four way splitter with four hoses off it. I can water four trees at a time. In the past, usually starting around mid July, I water four trees at a time for about 20 minutes, which amounts to about 17 gal of water - I have had a couple trees die at that during past summers. This year, I already have a couple trees turning brown and losing their leaves - but you never know if they are actually dying until next spring at leaf out.
I have upped my watering time to 30 minutes per week - about 25 gal per tree. some of the big trees get a double watering. This is an all day project. If I did not live on my property, I could not do this - and it is sometimes difficult to find a day to dedicate, one day a week for two months - even though I live here. Is there any other reasonable way to do this. Most, but not all trees are mulched. I am not really interested in installing anything really extensive - like an underground watering system or similar. Or, am I doing the best I can - taking a day a week to do this.
This is one of the few smaller trees without mulch - this hose has run for one hour and still no pooling. This tree has withering leaves - but not brown yet.
this tree is mulched - and has actually started losing its leaves. A peach tree has lost almost all its leaves.
Maybe this is just the cost of doing business in the deep south.
I have upped my watering time to 30 minutes per week - about 25 gal per tree. some of the big trees get a double watering. This is an all day project. If I did not live on my property, I could not do this - and it is sometimes difficult to find a day to dedicate, one day a week for two months - even though I live here. Is there any other reasonable way to do this. Most, but not all trees are mulched. I am not really interested in installing anything really extensive - like an underground watering system or similar. Or, am I doing the best I can - taking a day a week to do this.
This is one of the few smaller trees without mulch - this hose has run for one hour and still no pooling. This tree has withering leaves - but not brown yet.
this tree is mulched - and has actually started losing its leaves. A peach tree has lost almost all its leaves.
Maybe this is just the cost of doing business in the deep south.
