It won’t surprise anyone to hear that trees have different watering requirements to grass, or flowers, or small perennials.   Customers often ask us whether we use special irrigation for trees.  The answer is yes!  Read on to find out more.

The first thing to consider when thinking about watering trees is the method of delivering the water.  Even the smallest of trees is still a very large plant, and its roots reach a long way into the ground.  For this reason, we have to find a way to deliver water right down, well below the soil surface.  The Rain Bird Root Watering System provides exactly what we need!

What is a Root Watering System?

Take a look at our photos of the irrigation installation for a row of pleached trees.  You will see a vertical Root Watering System at the base of every individual tree, connected to the water supply by a long horizontal pipe.  Each of the Root Watering Systems is approximately 100mm in diameter and 450mm in height. There is a grille on top and the “body” is a mesh which allows both the water and air to get to the root ball which helps promote growth. It also contains a bubbler that emits water at 56 litres per hour while the system is switched on.

The long pipe in the trench is the main water feed which comes via a valve box.  The purpose of the valve box is to allow water through to different irrigation zones at different times, depending on the instructions programmed into the irrigation controller.  We always put trees in a separate zone as they have different watering requirements to lawns or general planting.  Typically trees might be watered every other day, which would not necessarily suit other types of planting.

If you have newly planted or established trees in your garden and want to make sure they thrive, do get in touch.  We can discuss the best ways to include them in an irrigation system, and ensure that they stay healthy and strong.  Give us a call on 01727 811448 to find out more.