It is warming up out there for sure and one of the topics worth discussing is how often and how much should you be watering your tree or trees? Excellent question and an excellent topic for the next few weeks! To answer the question how much and how often to water a given tree a few questions need to be asked first. Is this a newly planted tree or and established tree? What species of tree is it? Is it in full sun, partial shade or all shade? Is it in a mulched planter bed or in the middle of the lawn? Do sprinklers reach it, or does it have its own individual emitters from a drip system? What is the soil like, that it is planted in? Is it in a raised mound, on a slope, flat ground, or low area? Remember the time of year matters as well; as the title says, we are addressing hot summer weather. As you probably surmise from the questions asked, there could be multiple answers. We will not have the time or space to discourse each individual scenario and all the various combinations that must be factored in but instead address the basics. We must also assume for conversation that the appropriate trees are planted in an appropriate location. Improper plant selection and improper planting location is entirely another topic. Knowing your species and what kind of soil moisture it needs to thrive is a good place to start. As an example a popular tree that I see more each year is the Dappled Willow. This tree likes plenty of water and will not thrive if the soil it is in dries out. Adversely, the Colorado Blue Spruce will do fine if its soil dries out between watering’s, and overwatering one could lead to root disease. More next week, and as always, for further questions, quotes and consultations, give us a call today.
