Watering Your New Tree
You have a new tree, now what?
Lucky for you most trees need minor TLC in their first few years after planting. Young trees need more saturation than older trees so they can properly get established. In the first couple months after planting, more water is needed than a drip line can provide. This means that in the first few months the tree needs to be hand-watered, preferably with a garden hose, to ensure full hydration. These are some of the general procedures and guidelines to watering your newly planted tree.
When should I water?
The best times to water plants is early in the morning before the heat of the day or in the evening after the heat has subsided. This gives the roots a chance to absorb the water before it can evaporate. A newly planted tree generally needs a deep soak once a week, either in the morning or the evening. This routine should be kept during the first growing season.
As your landscaper, we water your new tree prior to planting and immediately after, meaning it won’t need another soak from you until the next week. You should then continue with watering once a week; however, this could be more or less depending on weather conditions (rain), sloping, water runoff from neighbors, and more.
How much should I water?
Trees can be tough in the sense they don’t like to be too dry or too wet. A general recommendation for new trees is thoroughly soaking the root ball during each watering session. To make sure the right amount of water is being given, dig a trowel about two to six inches into the soil, creating a small pocket. Then feel with your fingers making sure the soil is moist but not soggy. If your area gets an abundance of rain, hold off on the watering for a few days to let the soil dry out a little bit. If your area experiences drought conditions, increase the watering to twice a week.
How should I water?
A common method of watering is called ‘cycle and soak’. This means to water in multiple, short cycles allowing the water to soak into the soil slowly, preventing runoff and encouraging deeper, healthier roots. Water the whole circumference of the root ball, not just the trunk area and repeat as needed so that the root ball is damp, not soggy.
Another accepted technique is placing a garden hose at the edge of the root ball (not at the trunk) and letting the water trickle out. The slower the trickle the better; this makes it easier for the root ball to absorb and spread the water where it needs to go. Turn your hose on to a slow trickle and let it sit for approximately one hour, depending on the size of the tree. That’s all! Just don’t forget to go turn it off or you could cause damage or even kill the tree from excess water. Setting a personal alarm to remind you is the safest way to go.
Colorado Custom Landscaping’s Job
We take extra care during our planting process to provide a solid foundation for your tree. Along with watering the root ball before it gets planted and promptly after, we will also set up a trunk line adjacent to the tree. Since the first year needs more water than a drip line can provide, we do not connect a spaghetti line from the trunk line to the tree. This is an easy application, and we will equip you with the proper tools and knowledge on how to apply this line once the tree is established.
