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Conventional drip irrigation works with one outlet per plant. The water is delivered right at the stem – and the root follows it there.
Christmas Tree Irrigation: Where the Water Ends Up in the Soil
What matters is not only whether you irrigate, but where the water ends up in the soil. Our DVS cluster drip line combines three outlets per planting position and creates a continuous moist band roughly half a metre wide – so the fine roots grow outwards instead of downwards.
The problem with conventional drip line: the narrow moisture cone
“Conventional drip irrigation with one outlet per plant helps the plant establish itself, but it creates a narrow moisture cone right at the stem. The root follows the water: it stays compact and barely spreads out.”
Dr Andreas Maurer, DVS Beregnung, Tübingen
Three outlets per planting position
The main emitter sits 10 centimetres from the stem, with two further emitters 25 centimetres to the left and right of it. The three wetted bulbs merge in the soil and form a continuous moist band roughly half a metre wide.
10 cm from the stem
Main emitter – 10 centimetres from the stem.
2 × 25 cm left and right
Two side emitters – 25 centimetres each to the left and right of the main emitter.
approx. 50 cm moist band
Width of the continuous moist band in the soil.
The fine roots grow sideways into this zone instead of downwards. The result should be a wider root system, better stability and a crop that can switch to self-sufficiency earlier.
1 litre per hour – by design
1 l/h
per outlet
3 l/h
per plant
3
outlets per planting position
approx. 50 cm
width of the moist band
“The water is applied over longer run times. On light soils and on slopes in particular, this keeps more water in the root zone. The low flow rate also allows longer runs of line and operation from elevated tanks, wells or containers with a connected pump.”
Dr Andreas Maurer, DVS Beregnung
- More water stays in the root zone – even on light soils.
- Works on slopes without run-off.
- Longer runs of line per lateral are possible.
- Operation from a tank, well or container with a pump.
Factory-assembled to your plant spacing
The line is assembled to match the plant spacing. The emitter cluster therefore sits, straight from the factory, exactly where the plant stands: roll it out, align it with the row, done.
1.00 m
plant spacing
1.10 m
plant spacing
1.20 m
plant spacing
- No measuring out in the field.
- Fewer installation errors when laying the line.
- No manual emitter fitting.
- Noticeably less working time per row.
- Substantial wall thickness for multi-year use in the crop – the line stays in place and does not have to be replaced every year.
Why drip irrigation
- Significant water savings compared with conventional methods such as overhead sprinkling.
- Applying water drop by drop creates a balanced, optimal ratio of water to oxygen in the soil.
- Drip irrigation is many times more efficient than overhead sprinkling.
- Considerable savings on water and fertiliser.
- Economical, highly profitable and at the same time ecologically responsible – water resources are used more efficiently.
- Silent operation – no nuisance to people or the environment.
- Targeted application directly at the root, particularly beneficial for young plants.
- Time savings thanks to excellent automation options.
Drip irrigation & frost protection sprinkling
Secure reliable growth
Bridge dry periods
Reduce frost damage effectively
Use water efficiently
Protect stands long term
The invisible side effect
Plants take up water from the soil through their roots and release it back into the atmosphere through their leaves or needles – a process called transpiration. This evaporation puts moisture into the air, which later returns to earth as rain, snow or dew, even far from the sea.
Where irrigation is possible, planting Christmas trees pays off – and the stands make an invisible contribution to the global water cycle along the way.
up to 400 l
can be transpired by a single large beech per day.
30–50 l
are transpired by a fir per day – even in winter, depending on its size and the environmental conditions.
Frequently asked questions about the cluster drip line
The line is assembled to match plant spacings of 1.00 m, 1.10 m or 1.20 m. The emitter cluster therefore sits, straight from the factory, exactly where the plant stands: roll it out, align it with the row, done.
Every outlet delivers 1 litre per hour. With three outlets per planting position that adds up to 3 litres per hour per plant.
That is intentional: the water is applied over longer run times. On light soils and on slopes in particular, this keeps more water in the root zone. The low flow rate also allows longer runs of line and operation from elevated tanks, wells or containers with a connected pump.
No. The substantial wall thickness of the drip line is designed for multi-year use in the crop – the line stays in place and does not have to be replaced every year.
Yes. The low flow rate allows operation from elevated tanks, wells or containers with a connected pump. A practical example: Torsten Gersitz watered his new planting with three fillings of a 6,500-litre tank, twice a day for three days.
We plan your irrigation
DVS Beregnung GmbH has been planning and supplying irrigation technology since 2014. Our in-house irrigation planner rounds off the complete package – from system design and assembly through to delivery.
Based on the cover story “Wo das Wasser im Boden ankommt”, Nadel Journal 9/10-2026, text: Christine Blödtner-Piske. Quotation from Torsten Gersitz taken from Nadel Journal 4/5-2021.