Landscaping question

[Eric Perry]

Wow. I haven't posted here in forever. I need some input though and I figure what better place to get a ton of views quickly than here?

Anyway, I bought my house a few years ago and there was one spot in the back corner of the yard where there used to be a citrus tree but it was long gone. Well, in doing my springtime yard cleaning and prep this year, I decided to plant a baby lemon tree. At the same time, I fired up the irrigation system again (I turn off the grass sprinklers during the winter as the grass goes dormant and I don't usually plant winter grass.)

Anyway, what I noticed *after* I planted the tree is that the sprinklers are soaking the hell out of the tree area. It's too much and will kill the tree. I was going to adjust the sprinklers today, but with the shape of that piece of yard, there's really no way to avoid the tree from getting soaked.

My question, what's the best course of action? My current plan is to add dirt to create a pitch from the trunk outward, and lay tarp over that, then cover that with landscaping rock. The water won't penetrate the area where the root ball is. And I can use the present drip system lines to water normally, while also protecting from the sprinklers. I am concerned that the runoff water will drown the grass though.

Any words of wisdom to help me out? Thanks a ton in advance!

 

[5StringBlues]

Tort!




( Yo dude )

 

[geeza]

You cant go wrong with a landing strip.

 

[5StringBlues]

Welcome back to jackwagon central Eric...............

 

[buldog5151bass]

If you can't turn off that section of the sprinkler, it depends on how high the water gets up in the air. I wouldn't build up soil. If the water stays low, just use drive in some bamboo rods around the edge of the stones and use a tarp or plastic to stop the water. Just keep that in place until the tree can handle the water.

 

[Eric Perry]

The water shoots both high and low. It hits the trunk directly and also rains down onto the leaves.

I'm not sure I have any great options in that spot.

 

[StudioStuntz]

Whats the size of the area you are watering?
How many stations do you have?
Are you using impulse or pop-ups?

You can buy a sprinkler like this one below, remove the impulse head, then replace it with a pop-up, as they come in many different water patterns, circular and square. Last I checked, the circulars came in full, half, and quarter.
The one below is suggested to water the tree area only, and also not to wet the trunk.

Make sure you can remove the existing one before you buy it, as some are permanent.

Maybe even put a partition in front of the tree to deflect the water from your current system.

This may require a little extra work setting it up and putting it away….

If you're worried about too much water right now, you may want to remove the gravel around the base as it cuts off air circulation and retains moisture.

Oops, I looks like composed earlier and posted it too late as most of the info is now irrelevant.

 

[MJ5150]

Dig up the lines and redo the sprinkler system for that area, or don't use that zone and water manually.
Good to see you again bro.

-Mike

 

[Pilgrim]

Dig up the lines and redo the sprinkler system for that area, or don't use that zone and water manually.
Good to see you again bro.

-Mike

This is a good answer. Another option may be to change the sprinkler heads to ones with a different coverage pattern. That's really not difficult.

Or you can get a sprinkler guy to come in and make it right for a few bucks. That's a better long term solution.

 

[MJ5150]

This is a good answer. Another option may be to change the sprinkler heads to ones with a different coverage pattern. That's really not difficult.

Or you can get a sprinkler guy to come in and make it right for a few bucks. That's a better long term solution.

Good points.
I prefer the fix it once long term solutions. They can cost more upfront in time and money, but over time it's usually the better decision.

-Mike

 

[shadowtippy]

Umbrella, rain coat, and galoshes. I'm not sure what to do for the tree.

 

[Oddly]

Nothing useful to contribute, but I just had to comment on what a lovely garden you've got!

 

[Tom Bomb]

Save the lemon. I'd gently dig it up and re-pot it 'til you can figure out what to do with that area. Place the pot in the ideal spot and get that sucker growing. Talk to a local nurseryman who'll be able to advise you, regarding the pot, potting mix etc., and the ideal soil constitution for your bed. My guess is that an elevated, free-draining bed — it doesn't have to be walled — would be your best option. Lemons love water and are pretty hardy, once established. Your sprinkler system should be fine, under these conditions.

 

[Funky Ghost]

Man, if your moobs can't help I'm not sure what you can do.


( Yo! )


We used a french drain in my back yard for essentially the same issue but it was for the flower bed. I'm not sure if that would work for you but it might be worth looking at.

 

[TOOL460002]

Is swapping sprinklers for soaker hose not an option? Way easy to set up and much more precise. Can visit the local hydro store and do it cheap. Sprinklers are kinda old hat. No offence. They just are.

 

[MJ5150]

The idea from @Tom Bomb is a good one too. The tree looks young enough that it can likely withstand a replant.

-Mike

 

[buldog5151bass]

Is swapping sprinklers for soaker hose not an option? Way easy to set up and much more precise. Can visit the local hydro store and do it cheap. Sprinklers are kinda old hat. No offence. They just are.

Soaker hose for lawns? I've only seen them used in gardens.

 

[Eric Perry]

Thanks everyone for your replies. The sprinklers are all pop-ups. At this point, I'm guessing hiring "a guy" to look at it is my best option. With the shape of that part of the yard, I don't see a way to avoid the tree while still allowing full coverage of the grass. That would be fine for say November through April, but come the warmer months, especially June-August, any areas of grass not well watered daily will die. And pretty quickly at that.

Also, thanks for the compliment on the yard. That's just a small spot. The yard is what sold me on the house when we first looked at it. I absolutely love it.

 

[Eric Perry]

Here's more of the yard. These were taken from a 10 ft. ladder while I was doing some palm trimming. It doesn't show the side of the house where the lemon tree is, or the other side which is mostly desert rock, but with a few trees and shrubs trees.

 

[TOOL460002]

Soaker hose for lawns? I've only seen them used in gardens.

Was more talking about the tree because it looks like it's in the crossfire. Maybe get weaker sprinklers and use a soaker for the tree. If you can make sure the sprinkler don't hit it then a soaker is fine.

Honestly I'm just speaking from what I know. Which is hydroponic. And landscaping with soakers per plant or general area. Don't have grass. Not my thing. But I'm rather handy and experienced with elaborate hydro systems and it's just superior so I assumed it's translate. Maybe not.