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User Bp · 21-04-2015, 06:30 AM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden

wrote:
On Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 10:22:13 PM UTC-4, User Bp wrote:
Has anybody tried adapting drip irrigation techniques to established lawns
containing mature trees?

There's considerable documentation on the Web for large-scale agricultural
setups and _new_ lawn installations. All involve vigorous soil disruption,
which _seems_ likely to do considerable harm to the trees' feeder roots.

It's tempting to try putting down small (quarter inch) dripline and either
burying it just below the surface or stapling it to the surface. Burial
requires root-intrusion-resistant emitters, but surface mount with staples,
if it stays put under mowing and careful foot traffic, seems do-able.

If anyone has a tale to tell I'd be most interested to hear it.

Thanks for reading,

bob prohaska

You don't say where you are, but here in the Nj/NYC area
typical mature trees don't need irrigation at all, unless it's
a rare, extended drought. But if you need to irrigate,
I don't see why drip won't work. You'd just have to run
it longer to get better penetration than for some small
plants. Another factor would be if there is space on
the ground for it. Mature trees have large areas where
the roots extend and in many cases that area could be
lawn or similar that presents a drip irrigation problem.
But I guess if it's lawn, you're probably watering that too.

Apologies for the geographical oversight, I'm in Davis, CA,
about 12 miles southwest of Sacramento. The sprinkler system
works but is poorly laid out and wasteful. Soaker hoses on
water meters work but they're labor intensive. What I'd like
to do is connect driplines to (some of) the existing sprinkler
risers. Burial will disrupt roots, surface will foul rakes and
maybe mowers, along with feet.

I'm seeking the least of the weevils, so to speak 8-), balancing
a desire for healthy trees, a not-unsightly lawn and a modicum
of water (and labor and money!) efficiency.

Oh, one other issue: The lawn is gently sloped and the soil is
mostly clay. The sprinklers deliver water too fast to avoid
runoff. Given the new water usage reductions it's time for a
new approach and surface or sub-surface drip looks promising.
I am hoping to hear from folks who've done this drill before.

Thanks for reading!

bob prohaska