Tree Care and How Often to Water your New Tree
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After tree planting comes watering. Newly planted saplings may require ample moisture until they become established.
Watering is very important for proper tree care. Water carries nutrients essential for cell function from the soil into the tree and is a vital component in photosynthesis. As any tree service can tell you, many tree problems revolve around too much or too little water. Proper watering of landscape trees is crucial for maintaining plant health.
Several components, including site, species and time in the ground go into developing a tree-watering plan. Soil with a fine texture (such as clay) will hold water longer than coarse-texture soils (such as sand). Trees planted in areas of restricted soil volume will require a more frequent watering schedule than trees with unrestricted area for root growth.
After tree planting, help to get your sapling established
You may know how to plant a tree, but do you know how much watering it will need? Newly planted trees may need generous amounts of moisture until they become established. The larger the new transplant, the more important watering will be. Establishing a new tree can take as little as one season and as many as three.
A new transplant will need supplemental watering until its root system has regenerated enough to support the tree. That being said, it’s important not to overwater your new tree.
Checking your sapling’s soil is a real tree service
Evaluating the soil around your newly planted tree is part of good tree care. Soil should be moist, not saturated. Check the soil around newly planted trees often. If the soil feels dry, a good rule of thumb is to apply 1.5 to 3 gallons of water per caliper inch.
Apply the water so that it can soak deep into the soil and not run off. In the drier summer months or during a drought, watering may need to take place two to three times a week or more, depending upon plant demands.
When you need to water older trees
Under normal conditions, an established tree shouldn’t require supplemental watering, with a few exceptions.
• Trees growing in an area of limited soil volume (such as a sidewalk tree pit) will continue to need water. These soils can dry quickly, as there is little chance of soil moisture moving in from other areas to support required root water uptake.
• Extremely dry or drought conditions are another instance where supplemental watering may need to be necessary for established or mature trees. During these conditions trees should be watered every two to four weeks. Again, the amount of water should be around one and a half to three gallons per inch of diameter (measured around knee height up the trunk).
How to water is key to good tree care
After tree planting, take care to cover the entire root zone under the canopy of the tree when you water. Don't allow the water to run off, but let it soak into the upper 12 inches of soil. Repeat this cycle until soil moisture returns to normal.
Properly watered trees are healthier and happier than their neglected landscape counterparts. Determining when, and how much, to water your trees may be difficult at first, but is worth the effort.
About this Experts Contributor: Patrick Anderson is administrator of plant health care for Heartwood Tree Service, providing tree service in Charlotte, N.C. Since 1979, Heartwood has specialized in tree pruning, removal, fertilization, stump grinding, insect control and more. They are a recipient of the 2012 Angie’s List Super Service Award.
As of October 18, 2013, this service provider was highly rated on Angie's List. Ratings are subject to change based on consumer feedback, so check Angie's List for the most up-to-date reviews. The views expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect those
