- Thu, Jul 2021
- |
- Pulla Tree Service
Got yourself a new tree for your yard? Unlike mature trees, these require much more watering to ensure that they thrive. For this reason, we’ll tell you exactly how often to water new trees!
Why Is Proper Watering Essential?
If you recently planted a new tree, it would need your help to survive the summer heat and the freezing winter. Young trees use a lot of energy while generating leaves, and their root systems are still very tiny.
As a result, the summer heat stress and the lack of precipitation on freshly planted trees can be fatal. That’s why properly watering newly planted trees is vital to help them develop.
How Often to Water New Trees
During the summer month afternoons, up to half of the water might evaporate. Watering your trees early in the morning or evening allows the roots to absorb most of the water.
When it comes to how often to water new trees, there isn’t a magic timetable. Generally, most trees and shrubs require daily watering at the planting time and for the first couple of weeks. After these weeks, water them every two to three days until they are three months old.
Nevertheless, homeowners must know that watering frequency also comes from the size and species of a tree, soil conditions, the tree’s age, and weather conditions. As you can see, newly planted trees demand far more water than established trees.
If you’re not sure if you watered your tree enough, there’s a method you can follow. It relies on you looking at the soil. What you want is damp soil, not sloppy dirt. In the absence of rain or moisture, inspect the ground to a depth of two inches with a garden trowel. Water your tree carefully if the soil is dry to the touch.
What’s the Best Way to Water New Trees ?
The majority of a tree’s roots remain within the initial root ball for the first several months following planting, with some roots beginning to develop outside this region.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the root ball and surrounding soil uniformly wet since it’ll stimulate healthy root development. After a few months, you’ll want to expand the watering zone to cover the entire area beneath the canopy.
On average, it takes a few years for a tree to get established enough for its roots to extend considerably beyond the planting hole. If nature does not supply frequent soaking rains, it is critical to provide additional moisture during those early years.
During hot, dry weather, young trees may need to be watered up to three times each week to be healthy.
Keep Your Tree Healthy by Following These Extra Tips
Follow these tips when watering new plants:
- Avoid turf sprinkler irrigation systems as they don’t offer enough hydration for young trees to thrive. You can use a soaker hose instead.
- In most situations, make sure to deep water the tree’s root ball. You can do so by watering slowly.
- Most planted trees will benefit from sporadic but occasional heavy irrigation, especially during the dry season.
- To allow the soil to remain moist, be sure to apply a layer of organic mulch and apply water.
- Trees with a smaller trunk size, such as 1 inch, require less amount of water, while trunks that are 6 inches need up to 9 gallons of water.
- Moreover, trees with larger trunk sizes take longer to establish.
- Be patient since some trees might take more than two growing seasons to establish.
Hence, in simple words, there is no perfect answer for how often to water new trees.
As you can see, it depends on several factors which vary from one tree to another. Nevertheless, these general tips will give you a better picture of what your tree needs.
Remember that watering is just one of the many tree care activities you must do. You must also ensure to trim the branches according to their species and mulch accordingly. All of these steps will help you avoid any tree diseases or pests such as the dreadful spotted lanternflies.
Remember that if you require professional assistance on flawless trimming or count on a dead tree that needs removal, you can always count on Pulla Tree Service LLC.