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Tree Watering Practices

How to Water Your New Trees

There are many exceptions to the following guidelines. Species-specific research is encouraged for customers interested in the proper maintenance of their trees.

Trees prefer a larger volume of water, provided a little less frequently, relative to smaller plants. The key to establishment is to keep the soil around the root system moist. The root system is generally 12 to 18 inches deep on most trees. A slower deeper watering is more effective at reaching 12 to 18 inches deep.

Over watering can push all of the oxygen out of the soil and actually choke a plant to death faster than underwatering will kill the plant of dehydration. Be sure water is draining from your plant so it isn’t sitting in a puddle of water for an extended period of time after watering. Poorly draining soils will require much less water than outlined below. Touching the ground and feeling the soil moisture at the base of your tree is always the best way to determine watering needs.

Avoid letting water splash on the leaves of your tree, if possible. The best time of day to water is between 4-8 a.m. After the initial establishment, trees should be watered once or twice a month for the first 1-2 years, even during the winter, if/when weather permits, and especially during summer.

We don’t recommend relying on a lawn irrigation system to adequately water your trees. While the in-ground sprinklers will reduce water needs, trees will still need supplemental watering from a hose.

Weeks Since Planted             Frequency/Durationusing a Hose

1-2                                              Once daily @ 20-30 seconds/tree

3-6                                              3x/Week @ 20-30 seconds/tree

7-8                                              1x/Week @ 30-60 seconds/tree*

Increase frequencies of watering to daily to compensate for additional water loss from temperatures above 85*F. Decrease frequencies of watering to compensate for lack of water loss during temperatures below 45*F.