Dry Spell — Irrigation

Discussion in 'Fruit and Veg Gardening' started by Sjoerd, Aug 23, 2025.

  1. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    IMG_1311.jpeg

    …a closer look:
    IMG_1312.jpeg
     
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  3. Pacnorwest

    Pacnorwest Strong Ash

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    Your soil looks perfectly darkened, richly composted and well watered. Lucky plants :smt026. Could you explain a bit more about the water and rock in the bucket and its function along the hoe track irrigation around the plants.? I have a few guesses but would rather have your description.
     
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  4. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Hardy Maple

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    I was out this morning giving the beds in both gardens some water. They slope forwards from the back towards the gully behind the brick edging to the lawn. So training the hose at the back until the gully starts to fill ensures everything gets some water. The big acer tree in the front got a "double helping."
    I'll go out later with my garden vacs to give it all a bit of a tidy, but there's nothing else that needs doing before watering the pots tonight. We're in for a very hot bank holiday, so more watering will be needed.
     
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  5. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Pac— yes, that elabourate, albeit simple irrigation technique was thought up by the Bride. We normally use the bucket ‘n hose technique for certain plots as well as the fruit trees and bushes…but the added “canal” addition seemed a good thing, considerating the land there is slanted. This means that the water can slowly run downhill.

    The idea behind the hose, brick and bucket goes like this: the canal water runs through the hose from the spigot. The nozzle is turned to the spray setting, but the pressure even at this setting is sufficient to dig a hole into the soil wherever it is placed, so the nozzle goes under water in the bucket and the bucket is propped-up with another brick at a certain angle. The brick in the bucket holds the nozzle in place so that it will not jump out of the bucket and swing back and forth like a mad snake.

    Here is a foto illustrating the controlled water flow out of the bucket and into the moat system.
    IMG_1313.jpeg

    So then, the rock in the bucket holds the spouting nozzle under water to slow it down.

    Is this clear as mud then?
     
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  6. Pacnorwest

    Pacnorwest Strong Ash

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    @Sjoerd very clever watering technique. :smt023
    I sometimes use a defuser or a bubbler nozzle to control the water flow from the hose way down to a dribble to fill the pond. It keeps from stirring up all the muck from the bottom and clouding up the water.
    IMG_1243.jpeg
     
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  7. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Great tip, Pac. That looks pretty good.
    There’s more than one way to skin a cat, no?
     
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  8. Zigs

    Zigs Young Pine

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    I've got a bucket with a hole in it that I fill up at the bottom of the apple tree. Also put a big pot with a potato in it there so the apples get watered when that does :)

    Don't tell Grayham :eek::D

    DSC02091.JPG
     
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  9. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Hardy Maple

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    Nothing today as it was an extra golf day at a different course, back to my own course tomorrow, so nothing until Thursday.
     
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  10. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Zigs— cackle.
    No mate, I wouldn’t dream of it. He looks so peaceful.
     
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    Last edited: Aug 27, 2025 at 11:04 PM

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