Jim - they were sold out in May - when I tried to buy some. They may have more now. Yes, they work. Very well. You can zip them together for larger trees.

Since the feeder roots are at the dripline or beyond, seems to me this gadget is not the best idea for a mature tree. . . . But it might work well for a recently planted one.

---Margaret

My apartment complex in DC used them on some new trees and the trees got through a fairly brutal summer looking good.

--ian

Just what the heck is a Treegator?????

Special fabric baggie type thingies that wrap around a tree trunk, hold about 25 gallons of water and let it seep out slowly into the mulch. The bag, as I understand it from looking at one in place, does not put water on the trunk. They look funky, but my observation is that they work very well. I am going to buy some this fall for my fall planting (waited too long this spring) just in case we get a dry winter again.

I just received two that I ordered from Midwest Arborist Supplies. I'm adding a 2-3" caliper Tulip Poplar to my yard in a few weeks and I thought they would be good insurance.

Midwest Arborist Supplies had the lowest price I could find with Google search but their website is a little funky to figure out. You have to go to the search page and search by manufacturer for "Treegator" -- then you can order.

Here is a link that might be useful: Midwest Arborist Supplies

WHAHOOO!! I ordered mine tonight! Thank you so much, this was a site I had not found. I also ordered some mycrohaiage (sp??) Thank you Thank YOu, Thank YOU Rich.

Just to reinforce Glycera's point. You don't want to be using those on established trees and shrubs because you'll encourage roots to stay in one spot, trees should be watered all the way to the dripline, and the drier you are the more important this is (I've seen trees in Arizona that were watered by drip irrigation, blown over by a 30 mph. wind, they looked like they had been grown in pots (and in a manner of speaking they were, a very deep pot, but a pot nonetheless).

Above point very well taken. I only water newly planted trees - within a couple of months I wean them off and then I make them reach for it. But when you've just spent a thousand dollars for three trees, the treegators are worth it.

You're lucky, I can't buy trees that big if I want them to become well established enough to forgo watering (we have very deep soil, if not for that, my 13 inches would be adequate for only a few species).

They are not that big - just hard to find.