Growing Woody Plants with Limited Water Resources

Raising NurseryStock withLimited IrrigationWaterCharles A. Brun, Ph.D.Washington State University11104 NE 149 th St.Brush Prairie, WAbrunc@wsu.edu

It rainsall the time!So why are we havingthis presentation ?

30”-60” ofannualprecipitationDry frommid June throughmid September

Historical uses of waterWhiskey is for drinking,but water is for fighting over!Mark Twain

WA State Department of EcologyIndividuals orgroups may begranted rights touse them.A Water Right is alegal authorization touse a predefinedquantity of public waterfor a designated purpose.

Access water inWashington State4 ways

4 Types of Water1.) Valid Water Right2.) Municipal water3.) Exempt water4.) Capture rainwater

I. WaterRightPermit

Ground water

WA State Depart. of EcologyBeginning in 1917 thestate began issuingwater-right permits.For any use of surface water(lakes, ponds, rivers,streams, or springs).Salmon Creek in Battle Ground, Washington

Challenges to obtaining waterMuch of the waterin Washingtonhas already beenallocatedor claimedNew water rightsare increasinglydifficult to obtain.It costs $10,000 toprocess each newwater right application.

Ecology’s funding for Water RightsFor ‘09-11 bienniumthere are 25% fewerstaff to make waterright permit decisions5,700 applications forNew Water Rights inthe que

Ecology’s funding for Water RightsFrom reviewing500 applicantsper year,now down to370 per yearSome applicantshavewaited months oryears for water rightdecisions

II. MunicipalWaterSupply

Generic water tower

Garden Center on Public WaterAverage gardencenter inAmerica isonly 1 acrePortland Nursery on Stark St, Portland OR

Municipal Water SupplyTable 1. Cost of purchasing 1” of irrigation water (27,000gallons) for overhead irrigation on nursery stock. Numbersare from 2009.Seattle:$137/acreOlympia:$96/acreBellingham:$66/acreVancouver:$63/acreMt. Vernon:$60/acreWenatchee:$48/acreYakima:$47/acreEllensburg:$30/acreSpokane:$23/acrePasco:$23/acre

Garden Center on Public WaterLocation isprobably moreimportant thana Water RightPortland Nursery on Stark St, Portland OR

III. ExemptWells

The Ground Water PermitExemption WA EcologyProvidingwaterfor industrialpurposes,includingirrigationLimited to5,000 gallonsper day butno acre limit

The Ground Water PermitExemption RCW 90.44.050Allows the usersof small quantities ofground water toconstruct wells.Can developtheir water supplieswithoutfirst obtaining awater right permitfrom Ecology.

With 5,000 gallons of waterHow largeof anurserycould oneplan for?G2 Outdoor Nursery, Ridgefield, Washington

IV. RainwaterCollection

Collect rain water

Rainwater collection

Rain water collection: Cisterns

Rain water collection

WA State Depart. of EcologyOnce you have collectedthe rainwaterthere are nolimitations on its use.There are no restrictionson how much waterone can collect.But, ponds can notbe more than 10 acre feet

Rainwater collectionAmount to capture?For example:50 inchesof rain a year.Multiply square footageof roof times annual rainfallTimes .632(the number of gallonsof rain per square foot).So, for a 2,000 sq.foot roof onecould get63,000 gallons(2,000 x 50 x .632).

Rainwater collectionCapacity:30,100 gallonsDiameter:18.5’Height:15’Weight:5500 pounds$21,363.71Water Tanks.com200 American Way Windsor, CA 95492

Rain water collection: PondsR and H Nursery in Gresham Oregon

Rain water collection: PondsCan notexceed 10acre feet43,560 sqfeet in anacrePondmeasures208’ on aside,Not deeperthan 10 feet

Rain water collectionOne acrefoot ofwater isequal to326,000gallonsof waterBlooming Nursery in Cornelius Oregon

Got pond scum?Goldfish!

Rain water collection: Ponds10 acrefeetwould beequal to3,260,00milliongallonsSester Farms in Gresham Oregon

Rain water collection: Ponds10 acre ft. pond 208’ on a side10’ deep5 acre ft. pond 147’ on a side10’ deep2.5 acre ft. pond 104’ on a side10” deep$37,000 3,260,000 galls$18,500 1,630,000 galls$9,250 815,000 galls

Rain water collection: Ponds35’by300’by17’deep6,610cubicyards1,200squareyardsVan Wingerden Greenhouses, Bellingham WA

Rain water collection: PondsVan Wingerden Greenhouses, Bellingham WA

Rain water collection: PondsExcavationis based onquotes of$3/cubic yardPondlinercosts$1 persquareyardVan Wingerden Greenhouses, Bellingham WA

So, good …there is waterHow are we going to apply it?

Irrigationapplication

Solid SetSouthRidge Growers, Ridgefield, Washington

Moveablealuminum pipeOn a per acre basisto apply 1”of water requires27,000 gallons of waterJ. Frank Schmidt Nursery, Gresham, Oregon

Moveable aluminum pipeJ. Frank Schmidt Nursery, Gresham, Oregon

Moveable aluminum pipeHochstein Nursery in Cornelius, Oregon

FieldProduction

Field ProductionTraditionalOverheadirrigation.Movablealuminumpipe.GreenalleywaysJ B Instant Lawn and Nursery in Salem,OR

Field ProductionTraditionalSemi-solidset over-headWatered in first1 or 2 years of3-4 year cycle.G2 Outdoor Nursery, Ridgefield, Washington

Field ProductionNewer thinkingDry land farming.Cultivation8-10 days.Cultivate to create a dust mulch.Less herbicide needed.Less insects and diseases.Which works by breaking surfacecapillarity thus reducing evaporation.Don Schmidt Nursery in Boring, Oregon

Field ProductionDry land farmed.Tilled every 8-10days.PredominatelyconifersClay loam soil.Schipp Brothers Landscaping, Ridgefield, WA

Field Production‘Compacta’ HinokiCypressDry land farmed.Countryside Nursery, Wilsonville, Oregon

Field ProductionProgressivethinking.Buried driptape beneatheach row ofliner stockJ. Frank Schmidt Nursery, Gresham, Oregon

Field ProductionProgressivethinking.Buried driptapefor thesefruit stocklinersOne Green World Nursery, Mollala, Oregon

Field ProductionBuried driptapefor thesefruit stocklinersHeavilymulchedas wellOne Green World Nursery, Mollala, Oregon

Field ProductionVeryprogressive.Pressurecompensatingdrip tapefor hilly groundKinen's Big & Phat Special Plants, Gresham, Oregon

Field ProductionVeryprogressive.NetafimDripNet PCpressurecompensatingemittersPressurecompensatingdrip tubingfor hilly groundOnlywateronceevery10 daysCascade Meadows Nursery in Gresham, Oregon

Field ProductionVeryprogressive.NetafimDripNet PCdrip tubingwith internalpressurecompensatingemittersPlumlee Acres Farms Nursery in Forest Grove, OR

FieldProductionNetafimDripNet PC drip tubing withinternal pressure compensatingemitters.Can be pulled aside for digging.Can be retrieved at a latter date.Plumlee Acres Farms Nursery in Forest Grove, OR

Fabric BagIn-GroundProduction

In Ground Fabric BagsHimalayan birch in18” Smart Pots18” diameterfabric bagssupport a2” calipershade treeat maturitySouthRidge Growers, Ridgefield, Washington

In Ground Fabric BagsFar Pastures Nursery in Mt. Vernon, Washington

In GroundFabric BagsWhitman Farms, Salem Oregon

In Ground Fabric Bags‘Emerald Green’Arborvitae in14” Smart PotsJohn Deere WaterTechnologiesRo-Drip tape5/8” diameter8 mil thick tapewith 12” spacingwhich delivers15 GPH per 100’SouthRidge Growers, Ridgefield, Washington

In Ground Fabric BagsSouthRidge Growers, Ridgefield, Washington

In Ground Fabric BagsSouthRidge Growers, Ridgefield, Washington

Drip tape calculationsTake a 5 acrepiece ofground43,560sq.ft./acre x 5 =217,800 sq. ft.Sq. root of217,800 = 467’467’467’

Drip tape calculationsSet plants out at7’ wide rowspacingFor 67.8 tapesEach row gets 1piece of RoDriptapeWhich delivers 15GPH/ 100’

Drip tape calculationsSo if each tape does15 GPH/100’Then it delivers467/100 (4.67)4.67 x 15 = 70GPH/tape lineThus 67.8 tape linestimes 70 GPH/tapeEquals at total of4746 gallons/day for5 acres of plants.

Drip tape calculationsSuccess!5 acres of field stock with 5,000 gallons of water!

In Ground Fabric BagsMaples in 16” fabric bagsWith John DeereWater TechnologiesSpot SpittersAt 20 psi thesedeliver 6.6 GPHLeft on for1 hour per daySouthRidge Growers, Ridgefield, Washington

In Ground Fabric BagsKunzi Turf and Nursery, Salem, Oregon

In Ground Fabric BagsMaples in 21”fabric bagswith NetafimWoodpeckerpressurecompensatingdrippers0.5 GPHdrippersleft on for5-9 hoursper dayKunzi Turf and Nursery, Salem, OregonA 21” fabric bagcangrow a3.5” calipershade tree

ContainerProduction

Container ProductionLargecalipertrees,all ondripNiceuseofgravelTSW Nursery Sales in Hubbard, OR

Container ProductionRule of thumb1 acre-inch(approximately27,000 gallons)If applied withover-headirrigationper acre ofnurseryevery dayoverthe seasonG2 Outdoor Nursery, Ridgefield, Washington

Container ProductionTraditionalCascadian Nursery, Hillsboro, Oregon

Container ProductionTraditionalOne acre of can yard could require3,240,000 gallons of water over120 days of summer growthCascadian Nursery, Hillsboro, Oregon

Container ProductionProgressiveapplicationBuchholz and Buchholz Nursery, Gaston, Oregon

Container ProductionProgressiveapplicationNote theB and Binto a potCascadian Nursery, Hillsboro, Oregon

Container ProductionProgressiveapplicationDrip systemFancy boxesfor retailgarden centersBuchholz and Buchholz Nursery, Gaston, Oregon

Container ProductionSmallercontainersand driptubing canmake fora trippinghazardClackamas Greenhouses, Aurora, Oregon

Container ProductionChapin spray stakes, 7GPH15 gallon pot3 sets/day at6 minutes per set2 gallons per pot per dayJ. Frank Schmidt Nursery, Gresham, Oregon

Container Production170 degreespray patternJ. Frank Schmidt Nursery, Gresham, Oregon

ContainerProductionWith only 1 emitter per potLocalized dry spotsJ. Frank Schmidt Nursery, Gresham, Oregon

Container Production48” cedar tree boxesG2 Outdoor Nursery, Ridgefield, Washington

Container ProductionAll on dripG2 Outdoor Nursery, Ridgefield, Washington

Container ProductionMultiple emitterson larger materialSo, put B and Binto a box, and theninsert spray sticksG2 Outdoor Nursery, Ridgefield, Washington

Pot in PotProduction

Pot in PotDripprevailsCountryside Nursery, Wilsonville, Oregon

Pot in Pot15 gallon pot1 emitter per pot1- 1.5 gallonsofwaterper daySo,… less over-allwater than for aboveground pots.Countryside Nursery, Wilsonville, Oregon

Pot in Pot25 gallon pot2 emitter per potR and H Nursery in Gresham, Oregon2 gallons of waterper pot per day

Summaryof Today

Take home messagesBuy land witha Water RightCaptureandstorerainwaterFisher Farms, Gaston, OR

Take home messagesCan yards convert fromover-head to drip (spray sticks)

Take home messagesFieldgrowersconsiderlimitingwateringUtilizedriptape

End!Questions?