Question regarding drip irrigation of blueberries..

[RickF]

Ok.. I'm not sure if this is the correct forum as none seemed quite right but here goes..

My blueberries in my front yard are all hooked up for drip using the 1/4" soaker lines in a circle config around each plant. I run it daily for 7 minutes currently at about 5am. I'm not convinced that this is enough water for them. I'm supplementing, as temps here lately are just shy of 100F mid-day, using my regular hose and the result is bushy new growth showing up as you can see in these images.

The plants that I've been irregular with supplemental watering are suffering or just plain dead in a few cases. Any thoughts on how much water is needed for blue's and should I switch from the soaker style drip hoses to something else like drip sprays/sprinklers? The soaker hose material I'm using is something like this available at your local big box stores. I will state that the ground in all cases is covered with locally sourced wood chips to a depth of about 8" around the plants starting about 8" away from each plant (I put a cone like a volcano has of acidic soil around each plant and backfilled with chips)

I've recently picked up some DIG sprayers locally that are adjustable that I could try..

 

[flowerbug]

7 minutes from a drip irrigation system doesn't sound like much at all to me... especially with high heat, but hard to know for sure without seeing in person. how much water per plant along with how it is applied. the idea behind soaker and drip irrigation isn't a lot of water all at once, but a gradual amount over a longer period of time so it has a chance to actually get in there...

do you have a flood if you go longer periods of time?

 

[thistlebloom]

BB have shallow netted roots and like moisture. I think you can tell how much they appreciated the extra water you gave them with a flush of new growth. The mulch is a very good idea.
I don't know anything about drip systems so have no advice there.

 

[RickF]

Maybe I need to run it for more like 20-30 minutes .. I just chose 7 mins arbitrarily.. I'll try that as I'd really prefer not to run any sprinklers out here even if they are drip based (low volume) due to water evaporation out here in the desert.. Thanks.. I'll keep you posted!

 

[ninnymary]

Maybe I need to run it for more like 20-30 minutes .. I just chose 7 mins arbitrarily.. I'll try that as I'd really prefer not to run any sprinklers out here even if they are drip based (low volume) due to water evaporation out here in the desert.. Thanks.. I'll keep you posted!

I can't remember where I read that the person had theirs on for 40 min. daily.

With your deep mulch I don't think you need to worry much about evaporation.

Mary

 

[RickF]

Thanks.. I've been running it for either 20 or 25 mins daily with nothing but drip. I do need to replace some of my 1/4" soaker hoses as they just don't seem to be a solution for the long haul -- they come off their barbed connectors way too easily. Perhaps this is why the local irrigation place doesn't sell them -- only places like Home Depot and Lowes..

 

[flowerbug]

don't ever buy those hoses that look like they're made out of crumbled up pieces of tires. they are so very fragile they don't last long at all... one step on them and they're history and not easy to repair.

 

[RickF]

yeah.. I went around and ripped out most of them yesterday.. I've got a few that are fine for the time being and have zero chance of being stepped on but will probably need to check them from time to time..