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SHOULD I WATER MY TREE?
The recent drought, which actually has been building up for some time, has caused many of us to wonder if our yard trees should be watered. Trees cannot live without adequate water. A deficit of water can lead to wilting or browning leaves in the short term, and susceptibility to other stress factors, including insect and disease problems, in the long term. A tree may even shed its leaves prematurely to avoid further moisture loss. If your tree shows any of these symptoms, water it. Watering a young tree after planting is a simple but important step to ensure that the roots will be able to provide sufficient moisture for the tree to grow. Many nursery grown trees, especially when they are balled and burlapped, lose most of their roots during the nursery digging and transplanting process. These trees require extra water to make up for the lack of feeder roots that can take up water. Newly planted trees should be watered with about 10 gallons of water per week unless at least one inch of rain has fallen recently. Continue watering during the first growing season and during droughts thereafter. Proper mulching over the root ball can help conserve moisture in the ground and moderate soil temperatures on hot days. Established trees also require extra watering during periods of drought. If possible, water the entire area covered by the root system, which could easily extend beyond the dripline on established trees. The roots will be better able to take up the moisture if watering is done slowly and gradually rather than all at once. Fill buckets or milk jugs that have small holes in the bottoms (or gator bags) and set them out across the root zone for slow watering. In areas where watering with a hose is not restricted, a soaker hose which is allowed to run for 1 to 2 hours, at least within the dripline of a tree, can provide supplemental moisture. A tree requires at least one inch of water per week, whether by rain or by watering. This is equal to about 2 to 1 gallon water per square foot of ground area underneath a tree. One deep soaking every 7-10 days is much more beneficial than light waterings every 2-3 days. The goal is to have the water reach the tree's feeder roots, so enough water must be applied so that it infiltrates below the turf roots. Keep in mind that an excess of water can also be detrimental to a tree. A saturated soil starves the roots of oxygen needed for them to function. A soil should be allowed to dry out somewhat between waterings. This page was last updated on 09/03/02 |
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The Forest Conservancy District Board for Baltimore County 9405 Old Harford Road Baltimore, Maryland 21234 (410) 665-5820 Email Robert Prenger ....... rprenger@dnr.state.md.us Melvin Noland ....... mlnoland@bcpl.net
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