Post date: Apr 14, 2016 2:31:23 AM
Okay. So I corrected my incomplete planting of the deciduous trees. I had dug the holes too small diameter, so I enlarged them with a digging bar and a lot of energy. That took most of two days, including plenty of time to rest.
Now I need to complete the drip irrigation system. My first order included only 200’ of 1/2” (actually .700” outside diameter by .600” inside diameter) drip tubing with 0.5 gallon per hour (gph) holes spaced 24” apart. This tubing runs along the top of my berms and provides loops to encircle each of the 12 conifers. The 200’ of tubing will require (and provide) a total of 50 gallons per hour.
[My soil is mostly clay. Clay does not absorb the irrigation water very rapidly, thus the small 0.5 gph emitter size. Water poured onto clay also spreads much more widely than it does on sand. Thus the 24” wide spacing between emitters.]
Now I need to provide two 0.5 gph drippers for each of my much smaller (so far) deciduous trees and shrubs. These will be supplied by 1/4” tubing tapped into the 1/2” tubing. I also bought a second water filter and pressure reducer so that I can water the plants in front of the house from a different hydrant than those in the back. This package arrived this afternoon, so I can lay irrigation tomorrow.
The back water source is my storage tanks, which are filled from the roof drain and can be supplemented with city water if needed. I will probably need a small pump, but will have to size the pump after I know exactly how many emitters I have on that side of the house.
Yesterday we (six of my neighbors) discussed pumping water from the irrigation ditch that runs by our lots. We will put a filter box into the side of the ditch and can put a pump or suction tube into this filter box as needed whenever the water is running in the ditch.