The soaker hose provided one method to efficiently water plants by concentrating water over the root system.  This is essentially what drip irrigation does.

Drip irrigation is typically installed on the surface or slightly below.  The water is delivered by pipe and/or tubing and then dispersed through various types of emitters.  Often, drip irrigation zones are part of automatic systems with programmable controllers.

The basic, store-bought soaker hose we talked about in the last article can be installed as a simple and inexpensive drip-system.

The following pictures will help you visualize the process.  Click on any of them to get a larger version.

Picture 3

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 1 shows a group of “Emerald Green” Arborvitae that were recently installed.  The sandy soil and nearby maple tree has made it difficult to keep these new plants moist.  A basic soaker hose will do a great job of watering very efficiently.  Here’s how it’s done.

In picture 2 the mulch has been pulled back a comfortable distance of 2′ or so from the plants using a steel garden rake.  The soaker hose will be installed on top of the bare soil directly over the root balls.

This particular soaker hose is 50′ long with a threaded coupling at each end (1 male, 1 female).  This allows you to connect them for longer lengths if needed, but stay below 100′ for good operation.

For the 3 arborvitae the 50′ length is plenty.  In picture 3 the hose is measured and divided into 3 equal lengths…one section per plant.  Tape is used to mark the 2 points on the hose length to distinguish the 3 sections.  Now you have visual indicators for how much hose you can dedicate to each plant.

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

Start with the plant furthest from the water faucet.  Take the end of the soaker hose with the “male” threaded end and stake it to the ground just under the plant using a sod staple.  (This male end should have a cap on it.)  You’re really pushing the sod staple into the top of the root ball.

Now, as seen in picture 4, begin to circle the first plant with the soaker hose.  Be conscious of the tape marking the first of the 3 sections.  Remember, you want to dedicate a section per plant.  2 to 3 turns around each plant seemed to work well.  Stay relatively close to the plant to ensure you’re right over the root  ball.

Picture 5 shows the sod staples holding down the hose.  Use your judgement with where you position them.  Wherever the hose  is loose and won’t stay in position, that’s where you need a staple.

If you’ve divided the hose evenly between the 3 plants, the last one will have a few turns around it before you come to the end with the female coupling (picture 6).  Double check to make sure you have enough staples securing the soaker hose down.

Picture 7

Go ahead and connect a garden hose to the coupling so you can turn the water on and test the soaker hose.  Many come with a disc-like washer with a small (1/8″) hole in the center.  This is designed to reduce the house water pressure so the soaker hose operates correctly.

I find these disc washer pressure reducers (that’s a mouthful) annoying and prefer to remove them.  You could purchase a pressure regulator that attaches to the faucet, but if you just turn the faucet on a quarter to one-half turn, that works fine too.

You want the water to “sweat” from the hose’s pores something like in picture 7.  Adjust the faucet until you see it “sweating” adequately.

With the soaker hose secured to the ground and tested, you can now replace the mulch around the plants.

The mulch hides the hose and insulates the ground so it stays moist longer.  If you need to test and see how the hose is performing, it’s easy to expose.

How much and how long to water?

The answer to this question is always “it depends”.  There are numerous variables such as soil type, size of plant, time of year, etc. that will determine the watering amount and schedule.  And, of course, the schedule will change with time.

These arborvitae were initially watered every other day for one hour each time.  Arborvitae, by their nature, prefer moist conditions.  The sandy soil and root competition from the maple tree also influenced a “generous” watering schedule to start.

After 10 days or so we changed the schedule to once every 3rd day.  That’s where we’re at now and I’ll continue with that until this heat spell breaks.

Testing the soil moisture below ground is and always will be the best indicator for a plant’s water needs.  I use a moisture meter all the time because it’s critical for me to know what’s going on down there.

Most people don’t have a moisture meter, so try pushing a metal rod or long screwdriver into the ground near the plant.  When you pull the rod out look to see if the metal is moist or there’s moist soil on it – that’s a good sign.  If the rod is wet and muddy, the soil is probably too wet. If the rod comes out dry, increase the watering amount and/or schedule.  At the very least, pull the mulch back near the plant and check the soil beneath.  See if it looks and feels moist.

Watering and irrigation is a huge topic and I’ll continue to present aspects that should be considered for healthy plants.

What experiences have you had with keeping plants properly watered?  Have you lost plants from over-watering?

When I use the term “core” I’m referring to the center of the plant’s root ball.  A nursery plant that’s been dug, balled & burlapped (B&B) is now totally reliant on that root ball to keep it alive.

One of the major concerns of everyone handling and caring for that plant should be to keep the root ball adequately moist all the way through to its center or “core”.

Here’s why that’s so important.  Undoubtedly all nursery plants will have their “ups and downs” with moisture availability due to varying conditions and circumstances.  Typically the root ball will begin to dry on the exterior.  If moisture is not provided, the dryness will continue towards the center.

If the dryness travels too far into the root ball:

1. In all likelihood the plant will be severely stressed and damage will occur.
2. Restoring moisture back “to the center” of the root ball can be slow and difficult.

The trick is to not let the root ball get to that point.

If you watch and monitor the moisture levels of your nursery plants (whether they’re above ground or planted) :

• It’s easier to maintain consistent moisture throughout the root ball.  Dry soil can become “hydrophobic,” making it very hard to re-wet.

• You avoid plant stress that could be irreversible.  Yes plants often bounce back from early stages of dryness, but if the dryness is prolonged and represents drying “to the core” it’s not good.

How To Maintain Moisture Levels

Consistency is the name of the game.  If the nursery plant is being stored above ground, it is that much more challenging because the root ball is exposed to sun & wind.  Whether you’re watering by hand, sprinklers or a drip system designed for nursery stock, be vigilant.

If the tree has been planted, consistency is still key, but being in the ground helps tremendously (no pun intended).  The earth protects the root ball and insulates to help moderate temps. and slow moisture loss.  Still, the plant is losing moisture through its leaves (transpiration) and the soil is gradually draining & drying.

Sprinklers will work  for the most part, but again, consistency is key.  The watering must work its way from the surface down to the “core” of the root ball.  With a steady watering schedule the moisture level should be maintained through all the soil levels.

Sod staples hold pipe to the ground

During these hot summer months in particular, we’ve been using 2 watering methods to ensure our larger, recently installed plants are kept moist “to the core”.

The pictures above show basic, store-bought soaker hose being used.  I’ve coiled a 50′ length around the base of this newly planted tree using sod staples to hold the hose down.

The root ball on this plant is 42″ wide.  It’s imperative this tree stay moist to the center of the root ball.

Every few days the homeowner connects a regular water hose to the soaker and lets it run for just 10 minutes.  We found that this schedule during this hot, dry weather is adequate to keep the root ball moist.

The other method we use is the “Treegator”.  The one in the picture holds 20 gals. of water.  It’s designed with a zipper from top to bottom so you can wrap it around the trunk.

Treegator

With the Treegator the concept is that the water-bag (or reservoir) be filled with a hose and then allowed to drain gradually by itself.  It can take several hours for the bag to empty.

Both these methods concentrate water directly over the root ball where it can seep in without much “runoff”.

I should mention that it’s equally important to monitor the moisture levels below the ground while these watering methods are being used.  Keeping the plant moist is important, but “over-watering” can have damaging affects on plants.

Irrigation is such an important part of plant health and it seems the least understood.  I’m going to continue to write about it in the hopes that this basic fundamental of plant care is better understood and practiced.

There are so many “tricks of the trade” and techniques for watering.  If you have one I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Using a decorative pot or container has to be one of the best ways I know of to hide the hose and keep it handy at the same time.

The one you’re seeing here is made of copper.  Nice looking, right?  It’s made just for this purpose with a hole where the hose exits and connects to the faucet. It’s suppose to hold 150′ of hose, but that might be pushing it.   50 – 75′ is a more comfortable fit.

The homeowner has a collection of decorative planters on the patio filled with seasonal plants.  These have to be watered regularly.  The copper hose pot is the perfect solution. And I have to say, the hose comes out of the pot nicely and is a breeze to coil back in when you’re done.

Since we’re on the subject, let me just say that it pays to buy a better quality hose.  A good quality rubber hose is easier to work with and coil and, if taken care of, will last a long time.  Generally the better ones come with higher quality couplings at their ends – this makes a huge difference too. FYI, Sears makes a nice quality rubber hose at a reasonable price and they back it up with their warranty policy.  I’d suggest buying hose in 50′ lengths or less.  It’s just more manageable.

Do a search in Google for “copper hose pot” and all the choices out there.

I am a nut about irrigation management on my projects for two reasons: 1) It’s just the right thing to do considering water is such a limited resource, and 2) over-watering is probably responsible for 80% of the problems we have on these landscapes.

A couple of  months ago I’m monitoring a landscape we had just completed.  The site would tend to stay wet and I was on a campaign to dry things out by tweaking the settings on the sprinkler system.  One issue I was frustrated with was that the rain sensor would allow the system to run again too soon after a rainy period.

In a conversation with Vinny Cattogio, our irrigation contractor & consultant, he advised me that the Hunter ICC controller we were using had the capability to adjust for that. It has an advanced feature called Programmable Rain Off that allows you to stop the scheduled waterings for 1 to 7 days after a good rain.  Once the number of “Rain Delay” days you specify are over, the controller resumes its normal schedule. Nice, nice feature.

Irrigating On A Slope Can Be A Challenge

Here’s another common problem with sprinkler systems and water management.  It is not unusual for water to run-off a sloped area before it has a chance to soak in (where its needed). Well, Hunter’s got an answer for this one too.  The advanced feature is called Cycle and Soak.  With this you can take the total time programmed for a zone and break it up into shorter durations.  For example, you could take a zone that has a total of 20 minutes scheduled and program it to run for 5 minutes (Cycle) and then turn off for 10 minutes (Soak). It will run like this until it reaches the 20 minutes of programmed time.

There’s a good chance other manufacturers’ controllers have these advanced features as well.  Check it out because these are huge advantages in managing the irrigation and sprinkler system on your landscape.

Irrigation is certainly something you plan for in the initial landscape design, but are you really thinking  through the possible scenarios?

Seasonal gardens and planters are huge in today’s landscapes and rightfully so.  They allow style and color changes from season to season in an otherwise “fixed” landscape of shrubs and trees.  They let people really express their tastes and celebrate each new season.

But these ever-changing plantings have particular watering requirements. It will depend on factors such as the type of plant and if they are newly planted or established, are they growing in the ground or in a planter, and other factors as well.

A Major Watering Concern

What you must consider when irrigating these seasonal gardens and features is the impact this watering will have on the trees and shrubs in these areas.  If the seasonal plants are being watered frequently (which is often the case), there is the possibility that the trees and shrubs could be over-watered.  This can sometimes cause irreparable damage.

I frequently use remote faucets on my projects, strategically placed so that a short length of hose enables someone to water just those new and/or seasonal plantings without over-watering the neighboring trees and shrubs.  Plus, these remote faucets are just handy in the event you need water for any reason and you’re quite a distance from the house.

We integrate them with the pressurized main water line for the sprinkler system so they are active during the “growing seasons” and then winterized in the fall.

If possible, consider these remote faucets when the landscape project is in the planning stage or is just started.  It’s much easier to get the necessary pipe in the ground during the “site-work” phase of the job.

If  by design your sprinkler system does not have a pressurized, PVC main, avoid using poly pipe that would be pressurized constantly.  Poly pipe and its fittings are not meant to be under constant pressure.

What It Is

I was asked by irrigation contractor Vinny Catoggio to test a new irrigation technology product on a recent project of mine.  It’s called the Hunter Solar Sync by Hunter Industries. This device is connected to your Hunter sprinkler controller and will automatically adjust the watering based on changes in the weather.  By using sensors built into a module that sits out in the open (Vinny mounted it on the rain gutter), the device gathers information on the amount of sun and the temperatures we’re getting. The resulting data is called evapotranspiration or ET.  Simply put, this is the rate at which plants and grass use water.  Using this data the device will automatically increase or decrease how long each sprinkler zone will run.

Why This Could Be So Great

I say could be because for both Vinny and I this is a test. He’s setting it up on a few sites (including his own home) to see how the Hunter Solar Sync performs over a period of time and seasonal changes.  I’m going to be visiting my project site with some regularity and will monitor its performance too.

Typically I have the sprinkler controller mounted on the outside vs. in the garage or house.  This helps the irrigation service people because they don’t have to rely on the customer being home. But for me it’s a major advantage in that I can make unscheduled visits to the property and adjust the controller as needed.

Irrigation is a key ingredient to a successful landscape, but to be successful and efficient it must have to components: 1) Proper design, and that’s a topic unto itself and 2) Seasonal & Climatic adjustments during the year. Beyond the obvious that a landscape has different water requirements in April and July and October, conditions such as rainfall, soil type, grades and plant varieties equally play into the formula.  So any device that helps monitor and adjust to any of these variables is a plus in my book, but it has to do it well and consistently.  Maybe the Hunter Solar Sync is such a device.

Irrigation Is More Than Just Getting Everything Wet

Months before this project had gotten underway I asked irrigation contractor Vinny Catoggio to meet with me on the site to review the landscape plan.  This meeting is the first critical step in planning an automatic sprinkler system that is customized to the planting plan as well as to the unique characteristics of the site.  Vinny and I spent almost 2 hrs. together discussing each aspect of the design.  We consider the exposure, grades and plant types of each area, and then mutually agree on an irrigation strategy. From there an irrigation plan is drawn for the project and a budget prepared.

Vinny and I both know that there will be modifications to the irrigation design once the project is far enough along and the irrigation phase begins. It is the preliminary discussions a landscape designer has with the irrigation contractor, along with the tactical changes made while the system is being installed that makes for a truly “site-specific” and efficient automatic sprinkler system.

Watering Lawn and Plantings

Of all the things to consider when planning an irrigation system, there is one key point that all should follow: Always separate the lawn sprinkler zones from the planting area zones. This universal rule deserves a thorough explanation of what goes into a professional, well-designed automatic sprinkler system. And yes, this will be another report I look forward to writing for LandscapeAdvisor.

Above you’ll see one of three manifolds being built.  This particular one has 4 valves – each of which controls a sprinkler zone.  These manifolds are built below grade and are housed in plastic valve boxes with covers for access.  This project has a total of 14 valves (zones) and they are divided almost evenly between lawn zones and planting zones.

In the second picture a technician is installing a sprinkler head for a lawn zone.  Notice he’s working in front of the plantings where he’ll position the head. When installed, the coverage of the head can be adjusted to only water up to the grass edges and not the nearby planting areas.

Here’s the previous post for this project. And here’s the next.

More often I see homeowners watering their plants with water nozzles like the one in the picture to the left. This type of spray nozzle is certainly one to have in your tool collection, but not for watering plants.

A water nozzle like this works at 2 extremes.  It either gives off a mist spray like you see in the produce section at the grocery store, or it shoots a narrow, powerful stream of water. Neither of these are helpful for irrigating plants.

I use this type of water nozzle for cleaning off surfaces like patios and walkways.  Also, after using soap to wash things like lawn furniture this baby blasts the suds right off.

I found a great use for the mist spray this water nozzle can make.  After installing paver bricks or powerwashing older bricks, you should sweep a “polymeric sand“ over the surface.  This special sand will fill voids, stabilize the bricks, and help prevent weeds.

After you’ve carefully swept the sand into all the joints you must wet the sand with a light mist of water.  The water will activate the polymers in the sand and make the particles bond.  This type of water nozzle works great for this!

So What’s The Best Water Nozzle For Plants?

I use what’s called a waterbreaker.  This shower-like water nozzle is very often attached to an aluminum wand. I guarantee once you’ve used one of these, you’ll never pick up a spray nozzle again to water your plants.

They are designed specifically for irrigation. The water comes out in generous volume, but in a soft “rain-like” flow. The wand also helps you reach hanging baskets and window boxes.

I use “waterbreakers” on the job for plants in containers and planted in the ground.  I like to know the homeowner is using one because they help ensure proper watering.

Note: Remember when watering to constantly move from plant to plant or area to area. Allow the first dose of water to soak in and then come back to that plant or area to soak it again. This method will insure the water gets down deep where it’s needed.