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Emergency Irrigation at a remote location

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  • Sas
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I planted some additional baby fig trees last year. This summer has been hotter than usual and all trees planted at that location are not irrigated. I have some losses, but I'm amazed that despite the extreme heat most of them are still alive.
Today, I finally decided to give them a little help, since there's a dug in well on property.
I might water once every two or three weeks for the next couple of months.

1) Purchased a generator for around $200 on eBay, similar to this one
http://www.ebay.com/itm/XtremepowerUS-4000-Watt-6-5HP-Gas-Generator-Lifan-Engine120v-240v-4-Stroke/351801210063?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

2) Submersible pump around $150 similar to this one (heavy but great pumping power)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Submersible-Water-Pump-Well-Deep-4-1HP-213-FT-Deep-Stainless-Steel-100-FT-Cord/391525462825?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

3) Ran a 1" poly pipe to
4) 275 gallon tank $120 on Craig's list
Similar to this one
https://collegestation.craigslist.org/for/6179766197.html

5) Then hooked up some 3/4" PVC pipes and drilled 1/16" holes in them (one hole per trees).
$60 Approximately 150 ft and
6) about $100 for some hookups.

7) $130 lawn sprinkling pump from harbor freight tools similar to this one
https://t.harborfreight.com/1-hp-portable-sprinkling-pump-1075-gph-63320.html

I run my generator and fill the 275 gallon tank from well, then run the sprinkling pump to water the trees.
It's primitive but in extreme heat it's better than nothing.
Since I'm not qualified to setup a more elaborate system, this might do for now until the trees get established.
Last season, I spoke with a farmer from the area and he told me that might irrigate his established trees perhaps once a months.

The generator could handle one pump at a time. The smaller generator from Harbor freight tools is worthless. It cannot run anything.

Below is the result.



Water coming out 150 ft away from sprinkling pump.









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  • Sas

This is how these trees looked today after over one Year with no food and no irrigation.


Hey Sas, Now that's what I call determination! A lot of people would have gave up, but your love for Fig Trees won over! Best of luck bud! : )

Looks like its working good.Youll have a nice stretch of
figs before you know it.

Good job.

Hi,
Hopefully no neighbor complains about the noise. Here you can't make noise on Sundays and even on Saturdays at some locations.
I would feed them too. It could rain; or some trees might find a buried natural waterway ... But fertilizer won't come alone . Just my 2 cents.
You probably know that I'm a fertilizer-fanatic.
I water my tree every week or twice a week a watering can of 11L (3 gallons) or 2 watering-cans per tree.
I see lots of veggies on the floor. You could make stinky water to feed your trees ... Put the weeds to dry, then in a barrel, then fill with water. Wait 2 weeks and water with that water.
Be careful in not burning the trees. Start with half a water-can of stinky water per tree and give normal water too to dilute the stinky water.
You're lucky to have a water-well ( probably you chose that land because of the well LOL ).

Good luck !

Way to go, looks great.

Was the choice of using a 7mm hole as the watering device a cost-saving measure? Does it water fairly uniformly? I've always been a sucker for pressure compensating drippers, i.e. Toro Turbo SC +. 

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  • Sas

Thank You everyone.

JD there's no one that I could disturb over there. Im surrounded by large farms and a river. Thanks for that stinky water idea.

Mathew, I'm sorry it's 1/16 Inch holes. I use the same setup on my raised bed gardening. Don't know what I was thinking.
The water using 1/16 inch holes comes out uniformly. You can control it using a faucet or valve. In this case, I put the holes down so that the water goes in ground at base of tree.
The idea is to deliver the water. I have plenty of water in that well, but the concept is similar to drip irrigation.

I simply followed the professor's instructions over here.












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