Watering in your yard

Watering is one of the most common activities in the garden during the summer months.
Making sure newly planted plants are kept moist until their root systems become established is especially important. Newly planted trees and shrubs are particularly vulnerable to improper watering. Applying water in a slow drip or trickle helps keep their soil-less root-balls moist.
There are several methods used to keep new transplants watered — open hose, soaker hose, drip systems and root feeders.
Setting the end of the hose next to the tree and allowing a slow trickle to run long enough to moisten the root-ball is the open hose method. The open hose method works well for one to three trees if you can remember to move the hose after each tree has been adequately watered.  Unfortunately they are often forgotten and the plant is over-watered and water is wasted by percolating too deep or running off to the gutter or neighbor’s yard. Shut-off timers that can be attached to the spigot may alleviate the problem of over-watering. But, you still have to remember to move it to the next tree if you have more than one that needs watering.
Soaker hoses are more suited for the flower or vegetable bed. They are relatively inexpensive and readily available, but it is difficult to determine how much is being applied and they often don’t distribute the water evenly to the area.
There are several drip systems available, self-contained systems and semi-permanent emitter systems. Semi-permanent emitter systems are very efficient, can be easily installed and can actually be designed to irrigate several areas of the landscape. They can be installed to inground sprinkler systems or set up so they can be hooked up to the spigot.
Depending on the extent of the system, initial expense can be higher than some of the other methods.
Self-contained systems mean they have their own reservoir. There are several commercially available products available or you can make your own. The concept behind these systems is the slow release of water from the reservoirs through very tiny holes in the bottom of the system.
A simple and inexpensive way to make your own is by using one-gallon milk jugs or five-gallon buckets. Drill holes no bigger than one quarter inch in the bottom of the containers to allow the water to slowly trickle out soaking the area.
The last method is root feeders. These products are usually hooked up to the end of a hose and water is injected about eight to 12 inches into the ground. Water is slowly injected into the soil in the area of the tree roots. This system allows for deep root watering, lessens the chance of run-off and erosion, larger trees can be watered this way, and in some cases allows you to apply a water-soluble fertilizer at the same time. However, this system requires you move it around, especially when watering larger established trees, and pay attention to the pressure being pushed through the system.
In any event, there is no exact science to watering plants and monitoring and management of systems and poking around in the soil on occasion is necessary to make sure the plants are receiving adequate irrigation.
If you have questions concerning this topic or related topics, call the OSU Extension Center at 273-7683, stop by the office or visit online at http://www.oces.okstate.edu/pottawatomie/.