Watering
There are many ways to water your trees and plants: wait for rain, using a hose, but the most fun (and accurate) is to use buckets! Sure they're heavy and water sloshes out all the time, but look at those smiles!
The Bucket Watering Method - For Trees in a Grove
Why the bucket method?
Efficient for trees that are within reach of a garden hose and hat are planted fairly close together - the way we like them best!
Conserves water
Offers an easy way to know how much water the trees are getting
Reuses your school’s 5 gallon buckets (from floor cleaners, polishes, etc.)
The pails are readily available, so there is no cost to the school
The technology is simple
Students can adopt this practice as part of the tree stewardship program
The system is simple, fun for students, and can be easily taken on by clubs or classes
It offers a teachable moment/lesson in water conservation and tree stewardship
Materials
Ask your caretaker to save 5-gallon empty containers from cleaning products. Be sure to clean them thoroughly before you use them. You will need one 5-gallon pail for each tree. Ask your caretaker or a parent volunteer to drill two ¼” holes in the bottom of the pails to allow slow flow.
Method
For a grove of 10 trees, start with 10 buckets.
Place 1 bucket at the drip line of each tree.
Fill up each bucket with water, using a regular garden hose, (water will leak out the bottom as the pail fills up).
It takes about 5 minutes for the bucket to empty, so over the course of about 7 minutes, 10 to 11 gallons of water percolates slowly into the soil.
Continue to fill all buckets one at a time.
When you have finished filling the last bucket, return to the first tree and move the first bucket one third of the way around the same tree and fill it up again. Note: You will fill each tree’s bucket 3 times in all so that the tree will receive approximately 30 gallons of water.
Repeat with the other buckets
Repeat the process for a third time, moving the pails another one third of the way around the tree and filling them up for the third and last time. Note: If water starts to run all over the ground rather than sinking in, you know the soil is saturated and you are done.
Do this weekly from May through August and every 2 weeks September to mid-October.
* An alternate method:
If possible, start with 20 buckets for 10 trees. Place 2 buckets on opposite sides of each tree. Fill each bucket. When you have finished filling the last bucket, return to the first tree and move both buckets one quarter of the way around the tree and fill with water again. As you move through the cycle you will fill each of the buckets twice.