On Saturday, August 30, 2014 1:30:12 PM UTC-7, Brooklyn1 wrote:
On Sat, 30 Aug 2014 12:42:41 -0700 (PDT), Hypatia Nachshon

wrote:



On Saturday, August 30, 2014 11:29:14 AM UTC-7, Brooklyn1 wrote:

On Sat, 30 Aug 2014 08:01:19 -0700 (PDT), Hypatia Nachshon



wrote:







On Saturday, August 30, 2014 5:33:45 AM UTC-7, Brooklyn1 wrote:



Hypatia Nachshon wrote:















This is about a Santa Rosa plum and a Blenheim Apricot.







Planted same time; about 4-5 years ago. I assumed that at that age they would be living on ground water, but gardener told me contrary today! Horrified! Mea Culpa! Mea Maxima Culpa! Is he right?!







Plum is healthy-looking; well leafed-out. Apricot no; looks puny; suckers galore.







I remove; they return.







[...]

A neat method for watering trees in arid climes is with 4" diameter perforated PVC pipe. With a post hole digger or auger make post holes aboout 30" deep about the tree drip line 120? apart. Insert a length of perforated pipe into each hole with about 2" above grade. Then each day or as needed fill each pipe with water, can fertilze too.

Most tree roots don't go more than two feet deep and most feeder roots
are just below the surface.



Tx. Sounds like a plan. I had been letting a slow hose run for a long time too near the trunk; shoulda known to put it near drip line.



Do I assume correctly that the PVC pipe is BLOCKED at both ends, such that the only water that goes IN is through the 2" entry and the only water that comes OUT is through the underground perforations?


I'd leave the ends open.... if you think too much water is seeping at the bottom you can attach a wooden disk to a dowel to push into the pipe. Also a good layer of mulch will slow water loss. A lot depends on the condition of the soil you used to fill the hole when you planted. Also keep in mind that stone fruit really doesn't do well in So Cal.

I'm honestly not getting it. Never was good at spatial stuff g Do you mean the 4" buried pipe is perforated only at the water entry point? Open at both ends?

I was visualizing buried pipe blocked at both ends, with a 2" vertical "filler" pipe inserted into it. Water would then exit underground 4" pipe via several perforations rather than sudden gush.

Is this design overkill?

HB