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I have planted a dozen pecan trees in my pasture. I want to water them regularly but don't have a sprinkler system. I have been filling a 30 gal trash can with well water and using a bucket from the back of my truck. Is there any way that I could attach a hose to the lower portion of a 55 gal drum to and simply use the hose to water the trees?
You know places like Harbor Freight, Tractor Supply Co., Northern Tool and others have cheap pumps for 55 gallon barrels. The pumps are made to have a garden hose, or that type fitting, screwed onto them. I would think that would be the easiest way to water trees in the pasture.
I have the same issue w/ a small orchard we planted this year. I took a 150 Rubbermaid stock tank and placed it right over the axle of one of my 5x8 utility trailers. I then nailed some 2x4s to the trailer floor to keep it from sliding around. After a trip to Tractor supply to get some reducers, I plumbed enough hardware into the drain hole to get a water hose hooked up. Right now I am just letting the hose run next to the trees and moving the trailer around w/ the 4wheeler (lower hose below water level to turn on, raise it up to turn it off) but I plan on getting enough soaker hose to wrap the trees and I'll just park the trailer next to each row long enough to let the water soak out.
This is what I did. For the drum, you could just drill a hole and plumb in a hydrant. Any hardware store should be able to help you come up w/ enough fittings to get it done. I used the 150 gal tank because I already had it and the capacity was greater.
I have friends with young pecan trees and as we are in the most severe drought in over 50 years, they want to water the trees to boost the growth and ensure they aren't stressed. Large buckets or drums (plastic or steel) with a small hole in it seems to be doing a great job for them. They haul water to the trees and fill the leaky container which slowly dispenses the water over a period of time. There trees are small and this very deep soaking next to the tree is working very well. The growth they are getting is way better than some larger trees that they aren't watering.
I have other friends that bought "water injection" thingies that are hooked to a hose. You thrust the injection thing into the ground about 18 inches deep. A little flow helps bore the hole but doesn't erode it out too large. Then when the device is deep into the ground they turn on thte hose for 30-45 min and it deep waters the area. They do not get any water at the surface. The device has a chamber where you can add fertilizer if you want so the fertilizer is disolved and distributed with the water.
I have previously made my own but without fertilizing capability.
If your trees are fairly large then you probably want to water out nearer to the dripline at 3 or more places instead of a single central location near the trunk. I suppose some drip irrigation tubing connected to the drum would do the trick (without flow controlling tips.) If the flow is too fast (and the water you are using is clean) then shove a cotton ball or something up the tube.
I have only been watering one of my hundreds of pecan trees. It is close to the house and figures prominently in the landscaping. (I don't expect much of a pecan harvest this year but there are several pounds in the freezer.) I bought a battery operated timer that controls a garden hose so I can water from one to many times a day which ever days of the week I want for whatever time I want. Early morning at a slow rate (fairly fast drip) for a few hours is my choice. I can move the hose so different areas are watered on different days. If I wasn't cheaper than lazy I'd just use a manifold at the tree and several short hoses and not have to move hoses.
Next year will see more landscaping work (this year we are a weed farm around the house) and I will end up with an automated drip system or something that gets the best bang for the gallon and requires very little human intervention. Some of my favorite words and phrases in landscaping are (in no particular order):
Xeroscaping, cacti, low or no maint, ornamental rocks, volcanic gravel, and the like.
[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I take a stock tank in a tractor bucket with a hose connected to the drain plug of the tank. If I had a small trailer it may be easier but the bucket works well.
Steve
Although this is an old thread, I thought I'd add comments and maybe help someone next summer...
I have a 55-gallon drum with a faucet spigot in one of the bungs that I put into the bucket of my FEL and fill with water, keeping the spigot on the lower side. About 8' of hose attached to the spigot. I have 8 5-gallon plastic pails with three 1/16" holes drilled in the bottom of each (holes near each other). Go from tree to tree filling the pails, placing one near each tree so that the drip from the pail is next to the trunk. When I finish putting out the eight pails I go refill the drum and retrieve the empty pails, continuing to the next trees. The slow drip right at the small trees allows the water to get where it will do the most good with little or no run-off, and five gallons "down deep" is usually enough if you do it every month or so in really dry times. If you have a lot of small trees like I have scattered over twenty acres you can easily spend a day watering them with this method, but it's the best way I've found.
This is an old thread, but gives me some ideas! Thanks!
I agree, it does make one think.
Has anyone tried to take those buckets and attach a small diameter soaker hose to them? This way you can soak around the drip line where it is most important?
I was also thinking about planting my special trees with pipes installed in the ground to a couple of feet down. Each pipe can have some holes drilled through and be connected to a bucket at the surface. Or as someone else suggested once, a bucket actually in the ground with a few holes in the bottom. If some kind of filter is placed over the top, you can then collect rain as well.
The ideas can just keep coming.
While we're on this topic... Why don't we learn from those who live in the driest places on the planet. The peoples of sub saharan Africa and the desert areas of Arizona. These peoples planted there crops in small holes in the ground. This allows each plant to naturally collect dew every night, and maximize every drop of rain that falls. You should see the hight of the corn and millet that is grown in west Africa.
I have two systems I have for shade/fruit trees. The only difference between the two is one is a 110 gal water tank which sits on a flat bed trailer frame, the other is a 110 gal water tank secured to a pallet.
To the bottom of each tank I have hooked up a low pressure hose line (I think 1/4" ID) and a soaker on/off valve. I have adjusted the valve so that each tree gets about 20 gallons of water in a 24 hour day. I just go out and move them as needed/wanted.
Chuck
You can try a soaker hose also. It can get constant watering and you don't have to baby sit the system. I use those all the time for my irrigation.