Gator Woes

How many times have you seen this? A big, new home has just been completed and in come the landscapers. The new owners spend who knows how many tens of thousands of dollars to have gorgeous trees and shrubs planted around the house, along the drive way, and flanking the gated entrance. What is one of the first things people notice as they drive by? Many times it is the flacid green plastic water bags wrapped around the base of all the new trees! Look, Honey, what a nice new house, but eeeewwww! Look at those BAGS!

I know, there are situations that warrant the use of these unsightly bags- remote locations which a garden hose or irrigation network does not reach. BUT...Somebody has to remember to manually fill them. Somebody has to physically transport 5, 10, or 15 gallons of water to that bag and fill it up at least once a week. Water is very heavy, and how realistic is that? The bags, expensive as they are, seem to be somewhat effective for the intended use of irrigation, but they do provide a harbor for moisture and insects which may promote fungus or diseases.

A better solution? Invest in several hundred feet of garden hose or irrigation tubing. Lay it in the grass or bury it under the turf and put a Trickle Ring around each tree with its own adjustable-flow "Y" connector. Simple. Once the tree gets larger and has a good root system established, after 2 years of growth, remove the rings. A network such as this could extend down the entire length of a long drive way, irrigating trees spaced at regular intervals for several hundred feet. Simple, effective, less expensive, and "invisible".

Several days later...

"Look, Honey, what a beautiful new home! And what a gorgeous line of trees along the driveway! Its been SO DRY, how DO they keep them looking so HEALTHY?"

They just HAVE to be using those TRICKLE RINGS!"