Parker McClelland

thanks for the replies so far. To answer a few questions, this is just to provide food for family not a marketgarden.

Joseph,re flood irrigation, is that something that you think could work on a 10% grade slope like I am on? That is sort of what I had in mind, hoeing furrows and then flooding them one by one on water day (sunday).

Eric thanks for the food for thought regarding emitters. It likely would be the easiest way to get started at this point, and may very well be what I stick with for the first season.

Ted, I don't think that is really feasible for me, there isn't a ton of room up there between the field and the property line. Though I concede it would be really great to have all the water stored up there rather than where it is. Granted, most of the permaculture food foresty type stuff I plan to attempt will probably be below the pond, so any irrigation needs I have for that will be pretty simple.

Thanks all.

images of the field in question

Hello, I am looking for help and advice with regard to irrigating a ~10,000 sq ft. fenced in area at high elevation in the southwest mountains. I would like to focus on annual vegetable production in this area. Mostly corn, squash, potatoes as the staples. The field was formerly pinyon-juniper woodland that was cleared probably 30 years ago. The soil is mostly clay. One great thing that we have access to is water from a perennial mountain runoff stream on the weekends. It comes in at the high elevation point of the property, which is generally sloping at about a 10% grade, one foot of rise for 10 feet of run. The water runs down into a substantial pond that is located below the field. I am attempting to attach images, I have marked out the location of the ditch with the teal line.

Previous residents here attempted some growing in this area, mostly hemp with some vegetables. They irrigated by pumping water back up from the pond and using drip emitters. They dug out holes for individual plants with an augur, then added topsoil brought in from elsewhere to the holes along with the transplants, then positioned two emitters by each plant forming somewhat of a basin. I am interested in irrigating using gravity, diverting the water to the field before it runs past and perhaps using a gated pipe to flood furrows on contour. I'm not sure how it will work exactly given the 10% slope we are on. That way I'd be able to avoid reliance on an electric pump and disposable plastic drip lines, though I think the drip lines would probably be easier to start effectively irrigating with. I would also like to do some direct sowing for crops that can reach maturity in a 90 day growing season, and generally avoid relying on bringing inputs like top soil from elsewhere. I am going to till the field this year at least, to get started, and will probably dedicate 2/3 or more of the field to cover crops this year in an effort to improve the soil. I also plan on mulching pretty heavily, though I not sure with what exactly. There is a lot of excess straw/rotten hay around here but I am hesitant to source it because I think glyphosate spraying is prevalent. I have access to some pinyon - juniper wood chips from pruning around the property.

If anyone has any thoughts or general advice it would be greatly appreciated, or any other details needed I am happy to provide. Also, I wasn't sure exactly where to post this, thought I'd try here before starting a new thread, if there is a more appropriate place please suggest. Will attempt to attach images in following post.

Amy Gardener wrote:Very helpful to see your picture Parker. If you are willing to consider another opinion, please consider bringing the water all the way out to the drip line. One thing I have noticed regarding tree wells that focus the water near the trunk instead of out by the drip line of the tree is that the trees are rarely saved. Looking at the tree as though from an aerial view, the place where the rain water drips down the tree canopy and into the soil to nourish the tree is at the outer most ring of the needles. That edge is where the tree takes in water, like the open end of a straw. The interior water collection by the tree trunk cannot take in the water like the drip line.
I highly recommend that you make a ringed trench as your water basin and leave the roots alone in the center and keep that inner area dry. The tree can drink water at the surface of the outer trench. If you have 2 or more trees where the drip lines overlap, make one outer trench that both can share (like an island). All my trees have outward expanding drip lines as they grow. I don’t water at all inside the drip line. The trees that have this drip-line-attention are truly thriving.
From your picture, it looks like the outermost dry wood pieces are at the drip line. That is where I would carefully make a shallow depression to give the thirsty tree a drink. Since the fine young roots may have been cut while digging out the well, perhaps an experiment with another tree using this drip line approach would enable you to compare outcomes.
Good luck and I hope your hard work to help these trees succeeds!

Thank you for the suggestions, Amy. I will certainly put your advice into practice next time I'm up for digging a basin!

Gio, I am attempting basically the same thing. There are lots of juniper and pinyon on our 9 acres. Juniper seems to be struggling less than pinyon. There are many healthy trees and many that are visibly struggling. We are on a a significant slope as well. I picked a struggling tree to experiment on. I figure if my 'help' ends up harming the tree, it might have been on its way out anyway. I definitely disturbed the roots a bit, but pumped some water in to fill the basin at the outset to hopefully offset. Will leave it be from here on out and see what happens.