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    Rain collectors and watering trees

    I have about 15 trees that need watering. Last summer I made multiple trips with as many 5 gallon buckets I could put in the truck from a nearby pond to the trees and back. (Using tree gators).
    Thinking about putting a rain collector near the trees with a faucet to make it easier on myself. Any helpful tips from others who’ve done something similar?

    #2
    I have taken on a project to grow what I have termed my "vertical food plot", I have been planting pecan trees on my place in the Junction area. It takes some effort to get them established and keep them growing in this somewhat arid climate. After planting I immediately put a tree tube around the sapling, then a wire cage of 3-5 feet diameter. Both of these are staked down due to the high winds like we have been getting this week and to keep the animals from pushing the protection around. I water in each tree after planting too with about a half gallon.

    Long term I have set up 275-330 gallon water totes near each set of saplings. I bought a hose end timer that can be set to feed daily for however long each setting as you wish (I typically do about 20 minutes each morning around sunrise). This is connected to 1/2" poly tubing ran towards each sapling. As the tubing passes by a sapling I take off the 1/2" line with a 1/4" drip line which goes right to the base of the trunk. After purging the air out of the lines I set the timer to deliver about a gallon of water each day to each sapling on that 1/2" line. I put about 5-6 saplings on a 1/2" line.

    To fill the totes I use another tote bins I pull around on a small trailer. I was just filling this with a garden hose from my well but that was taking 45 minutes to fill each trip and I had to make several trips to fill all the totes. I rigged up a boat bilge pump to transfer from the trailered tote to the base totes, and this too was taking about 45 minutes. So as you can see, I spent a lot of time filling water totes when they were all empty. The key was to not let all of them get empty at the same time so I only had to fill one each trip to the ranch.

    Well last year I went to harbor freight and bought a 2" water pump and now I can fill or empty a tote in about 5 minutes. Best $200 spent on this project last year!

    I planted 11 new pecans last weekend and will plant at least that many more on my next trip out. I will put the watering systems on them around March, after the threat of freezing weather diminishes greatly, the hose end timers will freeze and break... been there...

    Good luck,
    Tim

    Comment


      #3
      Have any pics of this set up?
      Cages included.
      I planted 3 gallon trees a couple seasons ago and simply let nature take its course
      One apple tree got rubbed in half
      They all got nibbled bald both seasons
      3 peach trees didn't make it because of lack of water
      I guess thisstill had more clay in it than the soil hand mile on the other side of the property
      I have a well in property near the county road but that's 2000 feet away from these trees

      Originally posted by timoub007 View Post
      I have taken on a project to grow what I have termed my "vertical food plot", I have been planting pecan trees on my place in the Junction area. It takes some effort to get them established and keep them growing in this somewhat arid climate. After planting I immediately put a tree tube around the sapling, then a wire cage of 3-5 feet diameter. Both of these are staked down due to the high winds like we have been getting this week and to keep the animals from pushing the protection around. I water in each tree after planting too with about a half gallon.

      Long term I have set up 275-330 gallon water totes near each set of saplings. I bought a hose end timer that can be set to feed daily for however long each setting as you wish (I typically do about 20 minutes each morning around sunrise). This is connected to 1/2" poly tubing ran towards each sapling. As the tubing passes by a sapling I take off the 1/2" line with a 1/4" drip line which goes right to the base of the trunk. After purging the air out of the lines I set the timer to deliver about a gallon of water each day to each sapling on that 1/2" line. I put about 5-6 saplings on a 1/2" line.

      To fill the totes I use another tote bins I pull around on a small trailer. I was just filling this with a garden hose from my well but that was taking 45 minutes to fill each trip and I had to make several trips to fill all the totes. I rigged up a boat bilge pump to transfer from the trailered tote to the base totes, and this too was taking about 45 minutes. So as you can see, I spent a lot of time filling water totes when they were all empty. The key was to not let all of them get empty at the same time so I only had to fill one each trip to the ranch.

      Well last year I went to harbor freight and bought a 2" water pump and now I can fill or empty a tote in about 5 minutes. Best $200 spent on this project last year!

      I planted 11 new pecans last weekend and will plant at least that many more on my next trip out. I will put the watering systems on them around March, after the threat of freezing weather diminishes greatly, the hose end timers will freeze and break... been there...

      Good luck,
      Tim

      Comment


        #4
        I just got back from the ranch this afternoon after planting 6 more pecan trees and digging holes for 25 more trees that will go in the ground next weekend. They should have all gone in the ground this weekend but the icy weather delayed my shipment from Nativ nurseries. Box delivered a few hours after I left town on Friday. SMH

        Anyway, I will take some pictures next weekend. I don't have the water totes full or timers on them right now due to the threat of freezing weather. I will start that back up in March most likely.

        Tim

        Comment


          #5
          Rain collectors and watering trees

          I planted 16 today using tree tubes. My trees were delayed 3 days from Nativ also. I hope the storms tonight didn't blow the tubes off.

          Barnag, how big are your trees that need watered? If you set the tree tubes down into the ground, they can hold water from running out as quick and collect condensation.





          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
          Last edited by Mountaineer; 01-21-2018, 10:30 PM.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by timoub007 View Post
            I just got back from the ranch this afternoon after planting 6 more pecan trees and digging holes for 25 more trees that will go in the ground next weekend. They should have all gone in the ground this weekend but the icy weather delayed my shipment from Nativ nurseries. Box delivered a few hours after I left town on Friday. SMH

            Anyway, I will take some pictures next weekend. I don't have the water totes full or timers on them right now due to the threat of freezing weather. I will start that back up in March most likely.

            Tim
            Since the season is basically over I plan on planting six 30 gallon pecan trees within the next 3 weeks.
            Nursery by my house usually strikes me deals during this time of year so I hope to get those 30 gal at $75 each (normally $200+)
            I'm planting the indian varieties such as Kiawa and Pawnee

            I need to source a post hole digger because 180 gallons is a bit much for my shovelling

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Mountaineer View Post
              I planted 16 today using tree tubes. My trees were delayed 3 days from Nativ also. I hope the storms tonight didn't blow the tubes off.


              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
              QDMA forums (RIP) taught me that I need to use tubes and cages on each new planting.
              But I was knumbskull and didn't do it so deer have browsed all my leaves off every season and rubbed an Apple tree to death.
              They rubbed a moon glow pear as well but it's survived.

              I need to buy those tubes online

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Mountaineer View Post
                I planted 16 today using tree tubes. My trees were delayed 3 days from Nativ also. I hope the storms tonight didn't blow the tubes off.

                Barnag, how big are your trees that need watered? If you set the tree tubes down into the ground, they can hold water from running out as quick and collect condensation.
                They are all either saplings or bareroot.
                Ordered from the Wildlife Group last year. About to order some more from them and Nativ Nurseries.
                I use the tree tubes too, great investment.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by timoub007 View Post
                  I have taken on a project to grow what I have termed my "vertical food plot", I have been planting pecan trees on my place in the Junction area. It takes some effort to get them established and keep them growing in this somewhat arid climate. After planting I immediately put a tree tube around the sapling, then a wire cage of 3-5 feet diameter. Both of these are staked down due to the high winds like we have been getting this week and to keep the animals from pushing the protection around. I water in each tree after planting too with about a half gallon.

                  Long term I have set up 275-330 gallon water totes near each set of saplings. I bought a hose end timer that can be set to feed daily for however long each setting as you wish (I typically do about 20 minutes each morning around sunrise). This is connected to 1/2" poly tubing ran towards each sapling. As the tubing passes by a sapling I take off the 1/2" line with a 1/4" drip line which goes right to the base of the trunk. After purging the air out of the lines I set the timer to deliver about a gallon of water each day to each sapling on that 1/2" line. I put about 5-6 saplings on a 1/2" line.

                  To fill the totes I use another tote bins I pull around on a small trailer. I was just filling this with a garden hose from my well but that was taking 45 minutes to fill each trip and I had to make several trips to fill all the totes. I rigged up a boat bilge pump to transfer from the trailered tote to the base totes, and this too was taking about 45 minutes. So as you can see, I spent a lot of time filling water totes when they were all empty. The key was to not let all of them get empty at the same time so I only had to fill one each trip to the ranch.

                  Well last year I went to harbor freight and bought a 2" water pump and now I can fill or empty a tote in about 5 minutes. Best $200 spent on this project last year!

                  I planted 11 new pecans last weekend and will plant at least that many more on my next trip out. I will put the watering systems on them around March, after the threat of freezing weather diminishes greatly, the hose end timers will freeze and break... been there...

                  Good luck,
                  Tim
                  Got a link to the hose end timer that you use?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I just ordered three more timers today, bringing my total to 10. These are what I ordered, as they appear identical to the several Orbit brand timers I have had for a couple of years. The Orbit ones are good, but these are cheaper and that matters when you get as many as I have. None of them will survive subfreezing weather though, so bring them inside once rifle season starts.



                    As for tree tubes, I have tried several and like these. First from AM Leonard:


                    and these from Tree Protection Supply


                    These wound up being cheaper when buying the quantity that I did because they are priced with the shipping included. Shop around depending on the number you need.


                    I did try some last year that I will recommend to avoid. These were blue in color and came as flat pieces that you had to roll in to a tube. They were a pain to curl and did not want to stay together. I wound up having to stiffen them with a bamboo shoot and wrap them with several rounds of duct tape, and some still could not survive the wind out north of Junction. I cannot recall where I bought them from, but knowing me they were a penny cheaper or something. Heed my warning and don't skimp here.


                    For cages, I bought the cheapest roll fencing I could find when needed. Last week I bought this from TSC


                    I cut pieces 9-10 feet long and made a circle out of them. Then the cheapest stakes that I could find for both the tubes and cages are rebar. I bought 20 foot rods and cut them down to 4 foot long pieces with an abrasive blade on my circular saw. These wound up costing me about $0.50 a piece versus buying something for three to four times or more.
                    Last year I tried bamboo but could not get them to drive in to the west Texas dirt well enough stabilize things. Wind and deer pushed over many of the tubes.

                    Cages are a must with my deer density, and a good idea otherwise. The trees wind up being the cheapest part of this project for me.

                    On a side note, if I can ever find a supplier for cotton seed out around Junction then maybe I can use some of these cages later to feed that stuff out of.

                    Tim

                    Comment


                      #11
                      These are the crappy blue ones (in my opinion); DO NOT BUY
                      Each 4˝ diameter tube speeds photosynthesis by trapping moisture, thereby raising relative humidity and ambient temperature inside the tube. Also protects the tree from animals, wind desiccation, small rodents, and insects. Use optional cable ties to install optional bamboo stakes or wood guard stakes with each tube for support. Stakes and cable ties sold separately. Constructed of type 2 recyclable polyethylene.


                      Tim

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Texansfan and others, here are the pictures of the last round of planting I did. These were pecan, plum, pear and mulberry trees ordered from NativNurseries.


                        https://imgur.com/HWdmGmM


                        https://imgur.com/dGLsywY


                        https://imgur.com/gNhm78h

                        Note the bottle of water. I put 1/2 gallon of water on my trees after planting and will hand/bottle water them with 1/2 gallon each trip out to my place until the weather warms enough that I can put the watering systems in service. It takes a bit of time, but the future is worth it.


                        https://imgur.com/FDNfFhp


                        https://imgur.com/h4gzPDy


                        https://imgur.com/Dww9hZD


                        https://imgur.com/uImVWoj

                        And here is what can happen even with a cage and determined, hungry critters. I wish I knew what species did this. The cages around many of this year's plantings were made out of the cheapest wire cage I could find because I had so many to do. Well, sometimes the cheapest is not the best...


                        https://imgur.com/9hhN4o1

                        Whatever removed this pear tree ate the top half of it and left the root ball and bottom part of the sapling not too far from the hole. I planted it again but have little hope of it putting on leaves. I am not sure how long it was out of the ground. Anyway, I am glad that they only killed one of them so far, but they have a long way to go to get established.

                        You can also see some of the water totes in the background of several pictures. I typically elevate these on three or four pallets (see the one in the back of my pickup in the first pic) to make some room for the hose end timer and fittings.

                        Tim
                        Last edited by timoub007; 02-13-2018, 12:28 PM. Reason: trying to figure out how to get the pics to post and don't think that I am winning...

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Question? Why don’t you run a line from your pump To your trees. We ran 1” pvc irrigation pipe and then came off of that with 1/2 line and adjustable drippers. I just go start the pump at the tank and then walk around and check the trees to be sure the drippers do not clog up. The clogging is rare. You can buy the pvc cheap and run it a long way. As many trees as your planting it would be worth the investment.


                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                          Comment


                            #14
                            This place had 30 gallon pecan trees for $30: http://www.athenstreefarm.com/tree_farm_inventory.html

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by texansfan View Post
                              This place had 30 gallon pecan trees for $30: http://www.athenstreefarm.com/tree_farm_inventory.html
                              I called them and the only pecans they have left are 95 gallon trees at $352 each

                              I checked native and all they have listed in their site are the ten inch seedlings.
                              Is that what you got?

                              I'm really looking for something further along to produce quicker.

                              95 gallons is just a bit too big for me to handle.

                              Comment

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