When in doubt, look for data!
Daily data can be found HERE but it is not in a form that answers my question.
My "algorithm" for watering is "Seven days without substantial rain means I need to start hauling water". In my case, substantial rain means a single rainfall of more than 0.25". Less than that just wets the surface.
I pulled the Charlotte, Michigan data for the 2020-through-2024 growing seasons and this is what I found when I started counting "runs" of rain-free days.
Every year had at least two, 14 day periods. That is, a seven day run that went another seven days where no substantial rain fell.
Most years had at least one, 21 day period when no substantial rain fell.
Two of the five years had one 35 day period when no substantial rain fell. That is five weeks.
Using those years as a basis for estimating, I can expect to carry water fourteen times over the course of the growing season if I use my "algorithm". If I stretch that to 14 days as the initial trigger but then water every 7 days after that I am looking at having to lug water five times.
This data is specific to Charlotte, Michigan and only applies to the years 2020-2024.
If I figured stuff like that out I'd probably quit planting trees . ---ken
ReplyDeleteI would be using a wagon or hand truck myself, but my joints are bad. Lots of knee, hip and shoulder replacements in my family.
ReplyDeleteI'd get a 12v water pump like this one:
ReplyDeletehttps://tinyurl.com/yc2jr55k
I use one to transfer water to my RV (from the 7 gal jugs) when I'm boondocking and need/want to.
As the dairy farmer said to me many many years ago... you can use your back if you want.
No need for schedule 40 pvc to run water to a hose. It's going to get brittle in a few years in the sun. If it doesn't need to be there all the time, heat shrink tubing Otta hold it as long as you don't put a valve on the end. You could take it apart and put it away. 3/4 " thin wall ,,SDR21 is rated for 200 PSI @ 73 *F. Lots cheaper than hoses. Hose bib adapters exist, sometimes hard to track down. A hose from faucet to PVC, A hose from PVC, and IF a bucket is still part of the equation, distance would be,, well..
ReplyDeleteHope that helped