My drip irrigation setup for citrus trees. Just making sure im right

8 years ago

I've been following some advice on here and the internet and can't seem to get a real conclusive opinion about drip irrigation for orange trees. My tree is in pretty rough shape due to lack of water and bugs.

http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1151.pdf

Tells me the daily water needs, but my tree is 3 years or older, so it says water every 14 days even in july? I don't get how I can pump out that much from my drip irrigation without running it for like a day or two straight.

http://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/flcitrus/pdfs/short_course_and_workshop/second_international_citrus/Gustafson-Drip_Irrigation.pdf

This site says irrigation must be frequent and light. I think this makes more sense considering the mechanics of the drip.

I have 4 hoses that I can run to my orange tree that emit 2 gallons per hour, so 8 gallons an hour. I'm really confused how long I should be running the drip and how often. I feel like there are mixed opinions.

Comments (4)

mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Watering on a schedule is good and bad. knowing when and how much is not so easy. What I would do is water the tree very well until the top 12" of soil is moist and wait a week and see how the soil is doing unless you see stress prior. If its bone dry do it again water again the same way. If you have some moisture after a week wait another 2 or 3 days.

Remember the tree will find moisture that you dont provide it so the fact that X tree uses X amount of water at X age per day doesnt mean that you have to give it to it.

Oh and mulch is your friend here. a good 4-6" layer of wood mulch extending from the trunk to the drip line is ideal. Just leave a little space around the trunk.

mike
bwyand92
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks Mike,

I am asking mainly on a schedule because I will be leaving from may 18th - july 7th. Any other time I will probably cap the irrigation tubes and just use the hose since like you said I can just monitor better that way, or atleast until I feel the trees are healthy again.

Another issue is that my drip lines are all hooked up to the same line which connect to bells of fire plans, palm trees, and the citrus trees. I just talked to the nursery where I got the plants from and they said while I'm gone it would be fine to water my tree every 3 days on a drip with about 20 gallons worth of water? After I get back I can go back to monitoring it.

So if I mulch, could I drip 20 gallons every 3 days?
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Hi stephanieelaine, If you put the pump inside the bucket it must be submersible; if it is outside the bucket then centrifugal will do. A centrifugal pump can be mounted on the balcony itself & will easily draw the water up 10 feet from your tank. You can probably wire & monitor it better from the growing balcony as will be checking on plants there. You can run a centrifugal pump dry, but if the impeller is plastic it can eventually deform from the friction heat. If your water supply is an outdoor faucet near that proposed 5 gallon bucket placement site you can probably plumb it to a centrifugal pump sitting up on your balcony & wire the timer in to the pump. Submersibles are not meant to run dry for long stretches; sorry don't know particulars on your chosen brand. You usually use a check valve in the water tank that is connected to the feed pipe going into the pump; to keep from having to prime the pump every time go to use it. Put a screw on filter housing (so can clean inner screen out) somewhere before any water actually reaches the drip emitters to keep from clogging up. Use a pressure regulator at the outflow end of the pump. Match the regulator of the water pressure to the ratings of your drip emitters so you are not over powering their ability to release water from their holes. This is pretty simple sizing of the elements in a system, so don't be put off. I would say determine which pump can lift the water to the height you require & then work backward from the specifications of the total drip emitters you plan to use to size a pressure regulator. Emitters with built in diaphragms assure it that you will receive equal water outflow, irregardless of the planting height differentials. Put a removable end cap on the irrigation tube so can purge any algae that builds up inside, or it can block an emitter. If use an end cap that can be adjusted to bleed off some flowing water then it will let you release excess pressure if you find system design is flawed.
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Assuming your emitters are .9 GPH and not GPM, the amount of water you are applying per week is about what a plant that size needs; your problem is the soil drains quickly and in your climate it might be best to change to 3 times per week; and perhaps a little less time per application. As the tree gets larger, it will need more water; I only know about Meyers, but a mature Meyer needs about 5 liters per day.. maybe a bit more in your dry climate.
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bwyand92
Original Author
8 years ago
http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/The_Big_Picture/Irrigation/

To sum it, it uses the formula that the U of A website does. For example a 14 ft tree in july is said to need 30 some gallons of water a day. I can every other day let me 3 emitters at 2gallons/hr for 10 hours and it would work. Would I be safe from the salt deposit issue and root rot?

this kind of backs up what the landscaping people told me. Considering there are pavers around the west side of my tree, I think this is turning out to be better then expected. If I can water my tree little by little every other day my setups on other plants should be fine.
mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The local people will have a better understanding of your climate and the trees needs than any of us will so i would defer to their better judgement. Just keep in mind that because the internet says your trees needs X amount of water per day that does not mean that you have to provide. Rain, ground water those all count as giving the tree water. Thats why I suggest that you give it a good soaking and see how long the ground stay moist.

As far as you leaving I would let the tree have 10-20 gallons of water every few days if it get really hot.

wood mulch will not only help retain moisture but will also feed and build the soil as it breaks down. Plus it will suppress weeds and grass.

mike

My drip irrigation setup for citrus trees. Just making sure im right

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mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma

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My drip irrigation setup for citrus trees. Just making sure im right

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mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma

bwyand92Original Author

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