"'SolidWater'WithAirPockets"forWateringCityTrees
Dr.WeiZhang,VicePresidentforResearchandDevelopment,ZynnovationLLC,AshlandVA.540-300-1465.weizhang@treediaper.com
L.DeanAlberty,CEO&TechnicalSpecialist,DeepRootsMicrobiomeCompany,FordlandMO.lalberty@deeprootsmicrobiome.com
GordonMann,President,MannMadeResources,AuburnCA.gordon@mannandtrees.com
DanWhitehead,President,Hortsource,LincolntonGA.dan@hortsource.net
Newlyplantedtreestypicallycarryaone-year
warranty,butitdoesn'tmeanthesetreesareestablished
whenthewarrantyexpires.Researchhasshownnewly
plantedtrees,whetherB&B,barerootorcontainers,may
take2-5yrsofsupplementalwatertobecomeestablished.
Manualwatering,automaticirrigationandslow
releasewateringcoupledwithmanual/automaticwatering
methodsareused,butallmethodswillhavetodealwith
onecommonlimitingfactor:PlantAvailableWater
(PAW).Thisvolumeofwateravailabletoplantsis
betweentheFieldCapacity(FC)andthePermanent
WiltingPoint(PWP)(seediagram).BothFCandPWP
areintrinsicpropertiesofsoilcompositionandtexture.
WaterthatexceedstheFCiseitherwasted(e.g.runoff,
evaporation,competitionanddrainage)orstaysin/onthe
soiltodepleteairfromrootsandcausesrootrotissue.
Thisiscommonlyknownasoverwatering.Waterbelow
PWPcannotbeusedbyplants.Thecompactedsoilsand
limitedsoilvolumethatareverycommonforurban
environmentfurtherreducestheamountofPAW.
Asolutionis"'SolidWater'withAirPockets"
(SWAP),inapatentedproductcalledTreeDiaper
®
.
SWAPisthewateraboveFC.Butthepresenceofair
pocketsallowsvitalairsupplytoroots.So,it
significantlyincreasesPAWwithoutcausingthe
overwateringissue.Assoildries,ittriggersSWAPto
rehydratethesoilviaosmosis.Andbecauseosmosisisa
mutualprocessdrivenbyosmoticpressure,SWAPcan
captureandrechargewithsomeoftheexcesswaterthat
isotherwisewasted.Thecombinationofauto-recharging
withrain/irrigationwater,on-demandreleaseandextra
PAWhelpstoreducethewateringneed.Intheareas
withoutlongtermseveredroughts,itmayeliminatethe
wateringneed,asdemonstratedbelow.
Stabilizedandhealthysoilmoistureisthegame
changerinaroadmedianfieldstudyinRichmondVa
(seechart).Withonlynaturalrainfall,SWAPsustained
treesinthisharshenvironment.Treesthatwereirrigated
withapopularalternativeproductdiedafterashort
drought(seeimagescapturedbyGoogleMaps).
InanotherfieldstudyintheDenver,Coarea,while
asprinklersystemkepttheturfhealthy,theshallow
wateringalmostkilledthetrees(Right:treealready
markedwithredpaint).ThreeweekslaterafterSWAP
wasinstalled,thetreesweresaved.Thegamechanger,again,isthesoilmoisture.
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