Lawn Sprinklers and Spruce Trees

GPTurf

I recently planted a Fat Albert Blue Spruce and a Norway Spruce in my yard. Each is about 7' tall. My question is, will my underground lawn sprinkler harm my trees? Specifically, i know to be carefull not to overwater, but will the water stream hitting the needles harm anything? Will the blue color be "washed" off the Blue spruce? Should i keep the water stream off the trees as much as possible, or will it not harm them. Is watering at a certain time of day worse than others?

Thanks,

Brent Ferris

Let's be sensible. Does the colour wash away when it rains? No. So sprinklers aren't usually a problem.
I suppose a high pressure jet whacking away at needles, branches and bark could have deleterious effects -- but I presume this is a residential home, and line pressure from the street is 65 psi or less? Unless you're trying to cover more distance with fewer heads, I can't see you having a super high pressure. And if you are trying for distance, all the vegetation between the head and the drop zone will get very little water, and fewer heads will result in higher cost - to replace dry vegetation, and to install more heads,

The bigger problem I find, is that sprinklers usually aren't on long enough. Most people our way seem to think 20 min as the head turns around is enough.,

IT IS NOT !!!

I think that should be clear enough. When the watering is done (after 1-2 hours), go take a trowel and dig down and see how far the water penetrated. If it made it to an inch, that is a start. Remember that roots are in the 6 to 12 inch depth zone, so to saturate the soil to that depth, the sprinklers should be on one night per week for about 4-6 hours (depending on the soil) instead of 20 minutes 7 times per week. It will cost you more in water, but save on removal and re-landscaping costs. It is your choice,

And, don't water during the heat of the day -- more stress to the plant, and most of the water evaporates before it does any good. Use some common sense and learn as you go,

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GPTurf

Everything you say makes sense, but i had a landscaper today tell me that the blue spruce he planted (and will now need to replace ) death was caused by the sprinklers. Your logic with the rain makes sense, but i have also seen other blue spruces where the bottom half is not blue and has droopy branches. Is this caused by the sprinkler, that is what i assumed anyway. I assume Norway spruce will handle it better, since it doesnt' have the blue wax.

Brent Ferris

Droopy branches can be a result of lack of light, lack of water, poor nutrient status, snow load, etc pics help a lot. Generally the older foliage doesn't have as much blue -- I presume it relates to sunlight. More sun, the plant produces more blue colouring to protect the chlorophyll from sun degradation. However excess blue wax makes sense -- I have observed that "bluer" blue spruce are more susceptible to disease, and an excess of wax holds moisture better enhancing the action of fungal spores.

Norway spruce, not having the wax stay in the same condition all the time - since no change in growing habit, growth stays more stable.

You'll have to decide who's opinion to trust. Do the test in the soil for water penetration, and if the water doesn't get to root system, the tree will die. And inadequate water gives droopy foliage - one of the first signs homeowners can easily recognize and do something about.
So are you asking is it the water jet? the amount of water -- too much or lack of? the water on the foliage? -- If water on the foliage killed the tree, they would have to be protected by umbrellas -lol haven't seen a nursery yet that does that.

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

GPTurf

The trees I have seen could be caused from lack of water. If a tree was dry would the lower branches droop first? The tree I'm thinking of was great looking and blue on top and the bottom half was green droopy and sick looking. This was a small tree only 5 feet tall. I have a cheap moisture probe that I am using to monitor the moisture level inside the rootball. I'm assuming that if I continue to monitor this everything else should take care of itself?

Brent Ferris

If you are going to use a moisture probe to monitor soil water, get a baseline reading on soil conditions you know (artificially set up) check the soil outside the rootball and the rootball itself - at least 7 to 10 readings per time - 1, 2 and 3 feet from the rootball to have an idea of what the soil moisture is like outside the root ball - and of course decide if the "cheap" probe is telling you what you think it is telling you.

pics would help a lot

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)