If the bubblers don't reach all the roots they won't do the job. Once per month isn't likely to do the job either. Most roots are near the surface; it is more natural for frequent light applications to provide their needs than a once-per-month deep soak. Frequent light applications don't bring the roots to near the surface - they are already there anyway. If trees are getting by on once-per-month then they really are not getting (or apparently needing) what would be considered regular watering. Such a long interval between applications is what is likely to result in drought injury, rather than frequent light applications.

bboy -

No way trees can thrive on such light and frequent watering. Not impossible where I've observed....

Move to central Texas and find out yourself.

LOL, Lou, what would you do without those helpful HOA people? (-:

As for frequent light watering...
Frequent light (maybe a matter of degree) watering will cause preferential root growth of surface roots. Water needs to be applied until it penetrates at least a few inches (preferably deeper) of soil and applied over the entire rootzone when possible.

HOA doesn't know any better. The bubblers won't help trees over, say, 10-12 years old unless you let them run for a number of hours (depending upon how many GPM they output).

Ah, well. Amateur government and management is great.

Dan

I have a suggestion for Lou.
If you haven't already tried doing this, get involved with your HOA. Go to the meetings. Get to know the current board of directors. Get to know other homeowners. Wave to people as they drive past you or vice versa. Walk around your neighborhood as often as you can. Ask questions about what is planned for the community. Ask about what other residents are complaining about.

Then near your annual meeting call up the management office and have them put your name on the ballet and run for the board.

Yes it takes time and it's work but then you will finally be able to effectively educate people about trees, you can set up community projects and activities, you get to spend other peoples money on worthwhile projects and improvements.

Then you can go in there with a pro-tree agenda, organize tree plantings and mulchings paid for by HOA dues and plan things like community parks, gardens and gathering spots that the rest of the board members will really want to do. (You will also want to get to know them personally and ask them privately what amenities or improvements they would like to see in the community) then write up proposals for as many pet projects like these as you can and exhaust the budget of any possibility of things like bubblers or expensive and unnecesary services or things.

Volunteer to organize or participate every little project that you can make time for. Even neighborhood garage sales.
Get to know your account rep for the landscaping company that has the contract for the community. Stay on top of that to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Stay in regular contact with them so they remember who you are. Make friends with them so that when they have a question about whether they should butcher the crepe myrtles, you will be the guy they call and ask.

It's loads of fun and the other board members will be getting what they want. The community will also be a better place because it will have all these new improvements. Home values will increase because of you! And you can take pride in that. There will be some homeowners that complain constantly about the good work you are doing but that's just part of the job. You can't please everyone. Just pay them a visit and promise them something will be done about it eventually.

Don't ever complain about stuff yourself! That is the number one rule. Nobody likes a complainer. Complainers are no fun to be around as you will be able to attest to once you're on the board. Instead talk to other residents and get other people complain for you. Persuade them to call the management office when there is something to complain about. Then at one of the meetings you can tell the rest of the board what people are complaining about and then you present a solution for that problem. If you can convince a few of these residents to attend the meeting and support your solution to the problem then that will really help you fix the problem. And you will be surprised at how many problems can be fixed by planting more trees. ☺☺

Meet with sales reps and contractors in adnvance and get them to attend the meetings and present their sales pitches right then and there.

Getting involved is really the only way to influence policy in HOAs. Whatever you do, don't run for president of the board because then you don't get to vote on stuff. And it also makes you the person people blame for everything that goes wrong. The secretary and treasurer positions are also a lot more work.

If you can't get elected on your first try, then run for some non-board position such as social committee director or the architectural review guy and at least get your foot in the door. You can try again the next year.

I hope my reply was helpful to you. Now get out there and get involved and start making some positive changes to what is bothering you about your community. Instead of complaining here, go out and find no less than 5 other residents to call up the management office to complain for you. Have a cost effective solution ready to silence the complaints. He who silences the complaints is the hero of the neighborhood.

I've been asked to be on our board but there is only a few things I want to fix but many others that need my attention and time to educate myself about.

Dan

A few inches deep = light.

You are mistaken if you think once per month is forcing some kind of unnatural deep penetration, with no roots near the surface, that is protecting them from the drying of the upper layer of soil. The soil is not getting too dry for the kinds of trees chosen or some other factor is enabling them to survive.

All trees except some desert kinds make a pancake of roots near the surface, with a very small proportion of the total root volume being involved in making a tap root, anchoring roots or other forms of deep penetration.

Not watering for a month and then pouring on a flood of water that soaks down to a considerable depth is a good way to drown roots.