It is thoroughly rational to apply irrigation
to hold the leaves and secure their service in the strengthening of
bloom buds for the following year by irrigation. Such irrigation should
be applied immediately after the fruit is gathered or even before that,
if the yellowing of the leaves indicates lack of strength in the tree
and the frequency and amount of irrigation during the autumn depends
upon whether the soil will hold moisture enough to carry the tree to its
proper period of dormancy. This may be determined by the aspect of the
trees and by digging down two or three feet to see whether the soil
carries moisture which is likely to be sufficient until the coming of
the rains. Whether late irrigation will be necessary is also
determinable by the character of the soil; on close retentive soil it
may not be necessary, while on loose, sandy or gravelly soil it may be
essential to the life of the tree. One has to settle all these matters
by judgment and not by recipe.
Fertilizers in Irrigation Water.
Do you recommend putting fertilizers in irrigating water? I am about to
water the orchard and am thinking of putting some nitrate in the water.
You can distribute any soluble fertilizer by dissolving it in irrigation
water, but few have ever done it because of the difficulties of getting
equal strength in running water. It is much easier to distribute on land
before irrigation.
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