Tree watering bags

I'm looking at a tree watering bag that releases 20 gallons in 6-8 hours. Since it is a slow release do i not have to worry about drowning the tree? My trees are newly planted.

Zane Baty wrote:I'm looking at a tree watering bag that releases 20 gallons in 6-8 hours. Since it is a slow release do i not have to worry about drowning the tree? My trees are newly planted.

I found a bag that holds 20 gallons and releases the water over a 4 to 6 hour period. According to the info on the bag, it fits trees up to 4" in diameter, so I assume your sapling is under that size and should do okay with that amount. If it shows signs of getting too much water (like yellowing leaves or soggy ground standing around the base) I would simply fill it half way for the next watering and see if that helps. Oasis Tree Watering Bags

Also ... just a thought. These bags are a whopping $16 each and when you look at them closely, they appear to be nothing more than feed sacks with a zipper and some velcro straps for attaching to the tree. If you buy feed for animals (or large dog food bags for that matter) you could easily add a strap for hanging and punch a few tiny holes in the bottom for the drip feed and save a ton of money. I think I am going to try it for my trees because I have about a billion feed sacks and dog food bags and I can only convert so many of them into shopping bags.

I wouldn't recommend hanging 200 pounds of water on a small tree limb, or any limb repeatedly, because I've seen less than that kill a tree limb.  A pint's a pound the world around.   Fat raccoons at maybe 40-50 pounds broke enough of my branches to give me grief.

I would also not recommend water trickling down the trunk of any tree because of the grafting spot where the rootstock is joined to the trunk should not get wet and stay wet, except in winter when growth is slow.  It is vulnerable to rot.  It helps keep that joint dry and healthy by planting that joint facing south (in the northern hemisphere) and it won't be a place where moss and wetness are on the shady side.

I've been thinking of this very kind of watering, because deep irrigation is the best kind.  The roots should go down as far as possible, and we've got to get the water down, down, down so the roots will go after it.  But I'm thinking of fashioning something with a U-shaped PVC pipe coming out of the bottom of it, with heavy fabric stuffed in the PVC pipe, so the water goes equally to both sides, maybe from a 5-gallon bucket or tall kitchen garbage pail.  

And, yes, a tree can be overwatered and the trunk will start to split when it gets too much water at once.  It's a tragic sight. Testing the soil below the surface with a finger helps.  Clay holds water longer without water than loamy or sandy soil, even if the surface looks dry.  There used to be moisture meters on a long probe that really help.   If the tree leaves look wilty, then pale that's the first sign of needing water.  I have problems with wind and wilty-looking leaves, and putting the hose on either side of the tree perks it back up.

Also check for rodent runs around the base of the tree putting too much air under there and drying out the water we so carefully put there.  They are drawn to wet soil like a magnet to metal.

20 gallons over 6 hours doesnt seem excessive.  It should benefit greatly by reaching deep.

My water injuries took 6 weeks to do damage and the tree survived, just lost its leaves. 12" of rain in a weekend brought soggy ground for the 6 weeks as it seeped down a hill. It happened 2 years straight. Crazy stuff for Texas.

5 gallon bucket of water with tiny holes in bottom works well. Problem is the bucket blowing away when empty. Stake them or collect them when empty.

Cristo Balete wrote:I wouldn't recommend hanging 200 pounds of water on a small tree limb, or any limb repeatedly, because I've seen less than that kill a tree limb.  A pint's a pound the world around.   Fat raccoons at maybe 40-50 pounds broke enough of my branches to give me grief.

I would also not recommend water trickling down the trunk of any tree because of the grafting spot where the rootstock is joined to the trunk should not get wet and stay wet, except in winter when growth is slow.  It is vulnerable to rot.  It helps keep that joint dry and healthy by planting that joint facing south (in the northern hemisphere) and it won't be a place where moss and wetness are on the shady side.

I've never used a tree watering bag, so I don't know this for sure, but it looks like the straps are for attaching to the trunk of the tree while the bag sits on the ground at the base. Apparently, the strap merely keeps it in place so it doesn't fall over.  I also assume the holes are in the bottom of the bag rather than all over it. If I am correct, then the trunk would not get wet and there would be no stress on branches to worry about. If I'm wrong, I wouldn't use one.

Sounds like it sitting on the ground would work.   I thought somebody was talking about hanging something, so that's what made me think that.  Not sure I'd want to have to wait for the bag to fill up for each tree.

I've made 1/4" dripper line drippers (open at the end of the 1/4" tube) coming out of 1/2" poly hose, around the base of my trees, and run them twice a week for 15-20 minutes (in clay soil) from May to late November.  We don't get any summer rain, and the trees get a good 6"-8" new growth a year.   I have 100 feet of line feeding 6-8 trees in a row, that's all I have water pressure for.

Instead of any watering next to the tree, you really need the water out where the roots are (or where they are going to be).
The drip line is about as near the tree trunk as you need water in the grand scheme of watering trees.
The easy way to picture this is how wet does the ground get, right under the tree, when it rains.
My fruit trees have nearly dry soil under the leaf canopy but out at the drip line, the soil ends up saturated nicely during a rain.
You can use water bags but set them where those feeder roots are, not so close to the trunk that you miss them.
I have come up with a way to use some ollas for our orchard trees just like I do for our gardens and recycle some 2 liter plastic jugs that we were having trouble disposing of before.