DIY Drip Irrigation Buckets

DIY Drip Irrigation Buckets are a great way to water your trees year round! At five gallons, they are portable, storable, and make it easy to track how much water your trees are getting. If you didn’t snag one of our custom buckets at Denver Digs Trees or another event, don’t fret – they’re a totally doable DIY project. With a few materials from the hardware store, you can make one or more of these for yourself. Check out the video link below to learn how we did it. And if you’re wondering how much to water your trees, check out our Years 1-3 Tree Care Guide.

Trees’ needs change throughout the year and throughout their lives. Things that can dry a tree out faster include higher temperatures, wind, and a lack of mulch. If your tree is planted on a south or west face of the house or is in a rock bed, expect to water your tree more. To conserve moisture, the best thing you can do is use a chipped wood mulch. Apply it 3-4″ think beneath the entire canopy of the tree, keeping the area right around the trunk clear to prevent rot. When you water, it’s best to let it trickle to make sure as much as possible soaks in. These DIY drip irrigation buckets help get that trickle. Plus, they’re a visible reminder in your yard to get out there and water.

There are many other ways to capture the water that falls as rain, snow, and dew and direct it to your trees. Check out our Rainwater Harvesting Resource for more ideas here!

DIY Drip Irrigation Buckets Video