Selection of territory and preparation of soil for planting
Planting site preparation is a key factor in creating an orchard. It is advisable to choose an area that is flat or with a slight slope of a few degrees. However, an excessively steep slope should be avoided, as in this case the moisture will not remain in the soil for long and will quickly flow down the slope.
If you have an old garden, the trees of which have outlived their allotted life, it is recommended to completely uproot the old trees, followed by plowing the ground and planning for young plantings. To quickly organize such work, you should initially cut the trees down to the stumps, and then cultivate.In this case, it is advisable to use equipment (excavator or bulldozer), with the help of which the soil for new crops is then planned and leveled.
Thus, preparing the soil for planting includes the following points:
1) cultivation of old plantings;
2) plowing the land and planning the surface;
3) preventing soil from becoming clogged with weeds;
4) mulching and fertilizing the soil;
5) marking the area for installation of an irrigation system.
To prevent abundant weed growth, you should use agrofibre, which covers the entire area of the garden, or directly the rows with future seedlings. This will ensure reliable protection of the soil from weeds until the time of planting young trees. Agrofibre can be laid out immediately after plowing and leveling the soil, when the weeds have not yet begun to emerge. Next, before planting the seedlings, holes are made in it to ensure unhindered growth of the young planting.
As an alternative to agrofibre, you can mulch the soil with organic matter. This will be a more economical means of protecting against weeds, and will also serve as additional fertilizer. For organic mulching, it is best to use straw, which will retain moisture and prevent the soil from drying out and cracking. It is advisable to distribute the straw throughout the entire territory of the future garden, but you can also lay it out in rows in the places where trees are supposed to be planted.
Marking the territory and determining planting sites should be carried out taking into account the space sufficient for the spacious growth of the seedling and the crown of an adult tree. You should also consider the space for laying the irrigation system between the rows. To accurately maintain equal intervals, it is recommended to pull the thread onto stakes driven into the ground.At certain intervals, a hole is dug for the young seedling, the dimensions of which are on average 30x30 centimeters, and the depth is within the length of the bayonet of a shovel.
Features of installing a garden irrigation system
Designing a garden watering system should begin with choosing the size of the water storage tank. The use of such a container is necessary in cases where there are no nearby or significant distances from natural bodies of water. The volume of the water tank depends on various factors and is determined by the size of the future garden, the number of trees and the frequency of watering. As a rule, for ten acres of garden area, a ten cubic capacity container is sufficient, which can be a metal tank.
To install an irrigation system you will need:
- - plastic hose 30 mm in diameter;
- - drip irrigation emitter tape;
- - fine and coarse filters;
- - mini taps for drip irrigation;
- - a set of fittings, droppers and seals.
The water tank is installed at the highest point of the territory on a solid foundation, which can be concrete blocks. A plastic watering hose is attached to the tap located at the base of the water tank. The most common diameter is 30 mm, which is optimal for organizing drip irrigation.
It is also necessary to install two cleaning filters that will purify the water from the tank and prevent the emitters from clogging with small debris. As water flows from the tank, a coarse cleaning filter is first installed, followed by a fine filter.
The watering hose from the water tank is pulled perpendicular to the rows of seedlings along the entire garden.At certain intervals equal to the row spacing, mini taps for drip irrigation are cut into the hose, to which emitter tapes will then be connected. Each row of trees or shrubs must have at least one irrigation outlet.
Drip irrigation tapes have built-in emitters with a certain pitch, for example, 25 centimeters, which is ideal for watering shrubs, raspberries, strawberries, melons and other things. The tapes are connected to mini taps embedded in a common hose and stretched along the planting rows.
For watering fruit trees, as opposed to shrubs, it is better to use a plastic hose. You can make a hole in it and insert a dropper in a specific place (next to the seedling), which will ensure economical water consumption.
The edge of the emitter tape is tied into a knot to keep water in the system, and the plastic hose is sealed at the end with special plugs. Thus, an effective irrigation system is completely ready for use. This drip irrigation will use water efficiently and provide the garden with the necessary amount of water.
