Not a real sprinkler but works with a similar idea. Link shows the bags that fasten around the tree and a another doughnut shaped watering device. Water seeps out slowly through small holes on the underside and stays directly around the tree, therefore increasing watering efficiency. Good for large plantings that must be hand irrigated, too.
hortster

Here is a link that might be useful: Tree Gators

I started seeing these around town for street plantings. Funny thing is that they never re-fill and so many tree are dieing!

I was thinking about covering a wider range that covers up to a 20' diameter.

so what ... are you still going to drag the hose to every tree ... and disconnect..

or are you going to automate it all???

seems cost prohibitive for most peeps ...

i understand your investment ... and your thought process ... but once properly.. and deeply watered.. how often will these trees need watering.. once every other week or so.. and next year.. every third week??? and free range after that..

even if you bought 99 trees.. that 33 per week over a 3 week schedule.. or about.. taking sunday off ... watering 5 trees a day ... with a cold beer.. that sounds like a perfect evening ... they dont all have to be watered the same day ...

i dont see it really being cost effective .. but then.. i will never make my fortune.. because i can always talk myself out of the risk/cost ...

your trees are just not going to need all that much water ... even on my sand ...

ken

ps: as to how a city can kill trees.. dan can probably talk to us about that... lol .. wrong tree. wrong place... at least thought about using the gator.. just not OCD enough to think about filling them up a second time .. that project is over ... wouldnt be surprised if the city didnt have a warehouse full of used ones they cant give away .. lol ..

Most trees I wouldn't water beyond year two or three. But for smaller lots (less than an acre) you may have a 10' Japanese Maple that could use a soaking as it hasn't rained an entire month. I just don't know of a good way of watering it properly.

If I could buy one for $30, I'd go for it use on my specialty trees during long spells of no rain.

I picked up some things at Lowe's today so I can make a simple drip ring for my new trees. I got a 5-gal bucket in which I poked a small hole near the bottom and inserted a coupler (in-line for 1/4" tubing). Next comes 1/4" tubing interspersed with 5 ".5 GPH Add-A-Dripper" thingies. I'll clamp off the end or use a plug. I'll drape this around the root ball. I'll take a pic tomorrow after I get it going.....

I have 4 new trees planted in hot and dry NC (new house and had to do landscaping). I've been letting the hose dribble on them, but find myself disturbing it to do other things with it, and I lose track of how much total time it's been watering the tree.

I've already made--and been using--"drip buckets" for my smaller shrubs: I have 10 1-gal buckets that I move around every 30 minutes. So far so good on my 77 new plants! I do half one day, half the next. I'm still spreading mulch and various other yard work (1.5 acre lot), so it's no problem to move the buckets. By the time I finish in the yard, the plants hopefully won't need so much watering. I do keep checking with a moisture meter so I don't over-water.

Here is a link that might be useful: Add-A-Dripper thingies

whaas, I have strung 4 sections of hose together with a CHEAP pass through sprinkler between each. Then I string out the hose and turn on the water.

Soo much of the yard gets watered ppl think I care about my grass.

Now keep in mine barely anything in my yard was planted with foreign soil on its roots to make water flow interesting.

But also my trees just are not watered at their base. The roots have to grow out and compete with that darned grass.

If you are seeking something to leave in place (at least through the warmer months), use a drip tape and wrap it around the tree. It's better in multiple ways than a sprinkler and should last much longer than one of those soaker hoses. Sprinklers are less efficient, can encourage/spread disease, and aren't as customizable as a good drip system.

at the link.. you cut the brown stuff to circle the tree ... insert a T ... then attach to the water ... downside to this.. is you have to cut if off .... so with some landscape pins.. you just make a C or U .. so you can drag it away if you want it movable ....

the black line is supply line.. and you would use it to go tree to tree ... simply burying it with a straight shovel ... just 3 inches or so ...

and set a number of trees on a one zone ....

if you could estimate distance predictably .. you could make a set up .... attachable to the hose ... to do 5 trees ... and drag it from sets of 5 ....

you would then take the predictable flow rate.. and let it drip for an hour.. and see where you are at.. and then either increase time.. or decrease ... etc ... you are an engineer.. arent you????

individual pieces are rather cheap.. its all about how carried away you want to get ...

if you have a compressor.. you are all set to blow it out in winter ....

i used the brown stuff on rows of GGiants ... and hosta

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you made me remember that i can remove that one now ...

on properly watered plants.. one hour should be about it ... if you are starting with complete deep watering.. obviously you would have to have a very long first run ...

peruse the whole website... there are MANY options ... i just though a STARTER set.. for a small investment.. would get you some hands on experience .... also.. call them.. and discuss with peeps who know something ....

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I used to lay a 50' soaker hose in a spiral around my elm tree when it was younger. Three loops around covered about an 8' diameter circle. The hose cost about $10 at Home Depot.

Alex

There are sprinklers on the market with adjustable patterns. I've got one that can do various rectangular, square, and circle patterns in half or full. But, since it doesn't go around a trunk, setting it next to a trunk will result in some quadrant of the pattern remaining dry where the spray hits the trunk. Obviously, the thicker the trunk, the bigger the dry spot behind it in the "rain shadow". But, that won't really bother a tree, might result in funny looking growth patterns to the grass.

There's a tree watering ring that I saw at a garden center recently. If you do a search on the net for a Westward 2LPN4 Tree Watering Ring, you will find what I saw. I don't know that it has sprayers that will shoot water out...I believe that it is more of a drip system. If I was looking at it correctly, you can adjust the size as the tree grows.