WATER WISE
Conservation tips for edible gardeners.
COURTESY OF TRUCKEE MEADOWS WATER AUTHORITY
Stampede Reservoir, built in 1970 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, primarily is used to store water for Pyramid Lake and for flood control.
• Group plants by water-use zones. A water-efficient landscape will have few “high-water use” plants and practical turf areas. Group higher-water-use edible plants together, and lower-water-use (herbs, etc.) plants together, putting them on zoned irrigation
• Drip irrigation is the best, most efficient way to water fruit trees and edible gardens
• When watered on a drip irrigation system (instead of sprinklers), a vegetable garden can be more water efficient than turf by up to 30 percent
• An established “food forest,” which may include fruit trees, berry brambles, and edible ground coverings (such as asparagus and rhubarb) can be more water efficient than turf by up to 60 percent
• The Truckee Meadows is a prime location with lots of sun and freezing temperatures appropriate for many fruit trees. The best fruit trees for our area are (in order):
1. Apple
2. Pear
3. Dwarf cherry
4. Peach
• No simple guide exists to tell us exactly how much water a tree will need to thrive, however, there are many common sense techniques to help you determine how much water your fruit tree needs and when it needs it. The goal in watering trees is to apply the least amount of water needed to keep your tree growing and healthy. Unlike turf, which prefers frequent, cyclical watering to saturate its root zone (six to eight inches deep), trees need less frequent, deep watering to saturate their root zones (12 to 18 inches deep)
• The top three things you can do to keep your tree properly and efficiently watered are:
1. Install a drip irrigation system (with programmable timer) making adjustments to watering times and amounts seasonally.
2. Buffer your tree’s trunk with a mulch-filled watering basin.
3. Deep-root feed three or four times per growing season.
• If we have two or three consecutive weeks of dry weather in winter (which we experienced in December 2011), give your trees a good soaking to keep them nourished and healthy.
For details, visit Tmwa.com.
