The Inventors of the Root Quencher Want to Spread the Word about Deep Tree Watering to Save One Million Trees.
Trees are the anchors of a landscape. Their awe-inspiring size and stature are the first things we notice about a property. But trees need special care, and trees need deep watering to stay healthy and beautiful.
Quite simply, when trees don’t receive enough water, they become stressed. And when tree roots don’t receive periodic deep waterings, trees can die.
Robert Summers and Maria Caceres know first-hand how devastating it can be to receive bad news about water-stressed trees. They consulted an arborist about the 50-year-old trees planted by Robert’s father on the family-owned property in Pasadena, California. The prognosis was not good. Many of the mature trees in the landscape were dying and aging out. They would have to be replaced.
Robert and Maria rejected that idea. Rather than cutting down the trees, they embarked on a concerted effort to revitalize their fruit trees and shrubs.
Deep Watering is the Key to Tree Health
It turned out that the trees on the Summers’ family property weren’t getting the deep watering they needed.
“It’s not enough to simply water the surface of the soil,” said Robert Summers. “A tree’s deep roots also need to receive water to keep the tree healthy. Deep watering can be the difference between a healthy tree and a dying tree.”
Robert and Maria Caceres began to test every deep-watering device they could find. They soon discovered a need in the marketplace for an efficient device to deliver water deep into the soil.
The next two years were spent developing product prototypes and testing them on established trees. The result was a new product they called the Root Quencher. This cylinder-shaped device made it possible to deliver water deeply to tree roots.
A Root Quencher has three chambers that can be expanded like a telescope from 9 inches long (for watering shrubs) to 22 inches long (for watering large trees). Field trials of the new Root Quencher showed tremendous success in tree health and fruit tree yields.
What Makes the Root Quencher Unique
The telescoping three-chamber design makes it simple to adjust the device for different soil depths and different sized trees. To make it easier to consistently deep-water trees, the Root Quencher can be connected to any automatic irrigation system. That way, tree roots can be automatically watered.
The Root Quencher’s patent-pending valve adjusts the water flow from .125 gallons per minute (GPM) to 2 GPM. This adjustable flow control means each tree can get exactly the amount of water it needs for optimum growth and health.
The Root Quencher also makes it easy to fertilize trees. The closed bottom of the device allows for fertilizer application and mixing right inside the Root Quencher. Plus, directional plugs are available to block the water flow in single tree/shrub applications.
A Win-Win Tree Watering Partnership is Born
When Robert and Maria Summers first started installing prototypes of the Root Quencher, they dug holes for the device using a posthole digger. Then they met Greg Niewold, president of Power Planter. The digging augers made by Power Planter quickly became the “official” way to dig the holes for the cylinder-shaped Root Quenchers.
Early on, Power Planter augers were used to install more than 70 Root Quenchers. The Power Planter 4-inch diameters augers are the perfect solution for quick installation in warm states. The larger 7-inch diameter augers are great in areas where the ground freezes and the need to pack the Root Quencher in gravel is necessary.
“Power Planter’s product line is the perfect fit for us, and his partnership and advice has been invaluable” said Robert Summers, Operations Manager at In Deep Irrigation, the company that makes Root Quencher. “Power Planter and The Root Quencher team are both committed to family and are both committed to making quality products in the USA.”
With the combination of Root Quenchers and Power Planter augers, Summers hopes to save more than one million trees by giving them the water they need.
For more information about the Root Quencher visit www.rootquencher.com.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tree Watering
(Answers provided by Robert Summers of Root Quencher)
Do established trees need to be deep watered?
Yes! In most cases even well-established trees need regular water to thrive. Some larger trees have tap roots that may provide them with enough water to survive. But most established trees benefit from deep watering.
Why is deep watering better than just setting a hose next to the base of the tree or shrub?
Surface watering is subject to evaporation and not all the water gets to the roots where it’s needed. Integrating the Root Quencher in your automated watering plan and being able to control the flow is invaluable.
Do I need one Root Quencher per tree, or after a certain diameter trunk do I need multiple units per tree?
A lot depends on your soil type. Healthy soils allow for great capillary action of the water and only 1 Root Quencher may be necessary. They are very effective when placed in between 2 trees. For larger trees we’ve used as many as 4 Root Quenchers.
Are Root Quenchers better than those drip bags I see at the base of trees?
The Root Quencher connects to any sprinkler system or drip system and allows automated watering and easy feeding of your trees. The drip bags must be manually filled, they only deliver water at the surface, and there’s no easy opportunity to feed the tree.
Where can I buy Root Quenchers?
You can buy Root Quenchers directly from the manufacturer at www.rootquencher.com.
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