We planted starter trees from an online nursery this year and I wanted to share our experience as to how to keep them watered well without irrigation. I planted trees as to nursery instructions but it said to keep them watered well through summer. This meant carrying five gallon buckets on our tailgate a few times a week as we have no irrigation.
I came up with a better and greener way. I went to the local scrapyard and asked them for some used tires, (they will give them to you as they have to pay to have them hauled off). I bought 5 bales of pine straw and saved my plastic soda bottles. I dug a small hole next to roots for the mouth of the bottle, put tire around tree, and inserted bottle full of water upside down in hole. Then I covered the remaining area inside tire with pinestraw. The trees are doing much better and I managed to keep 15 tires and 15 plastic bottles out of landfill.
Oh, I also cut some boxes up and layed them under the pine straw to keep weeds down so I feel like I'm doing something for the earth and my back at the same time. Thanks for letting me share.
By Denise from McRae, GA
