Watering Tips for Landscape Trees
Posted on: 6 January 2017
Healthy trees require sufficient soil moisture to survive, yet water can also be damaging to trees if too much is provided or if it isn't provided properly. Although differences between trees, including species, soil conditions, and climate, affects how much water a tree needs, there are some basic tips that benefit all trees.
Minimize competition
While most landscape trees will grow well with grass or another groundcover growing beneath them, weeds can be detrimental. As a general rule, weedy plants thrive because they are adept as robbing the soil of moisture and nutrients from trees and other plants. Weed the area beneath your trees thoroughly, especially the area stretching from the trunk to the outer edge of the tree's branch canopy. This is where the bulk of the water seeking roots are located. You must also have weak growth trimmed out of the tree so it doesn't rob nutrients from healthy branches or new growth. Suckers, which are the weed-like shoots that come up from tree roots, should also be pruned away so they don't compete with the main trunk.
Use mulch
If there is bare soil beneath your tree, consider adding a natural mulch like bark, wood chips, or pine straw. Mulch protects tree roots, keeps the soil cool, suppresses weed growth, and most importantly, conserves moisture by inhibiting evaporation during hot weather. A two inch mulch layer should be sufficient, just make sure it doesn't touch the trunk since this can trap moisture and lead to rot issues.
Know when to water
As a general rule of thumb, deciduous trees require water when they are actively in leaf from spring through late summer. They usually get sufficient water from your lawn irrigation, but you may need to water the trees individually if you allow your lawn to go dormant at midsummer. Evergreen trees mainly require watering in the same season and conditions as deciduous trees, although they can also benefit from a winter watering if temperatures are above freezing and it has been dry.
Irrigate properly
It can be tempting to allow your lawn sprinklers to water trees, but there are a few issues you need to avoid. The sprinklers shouldn't spray so high that they wet tree foliage or needles, as this can lead to fungal growth on the leaf surfaces. A combination of trimming the tree so the branches aren't too low and choosing the right sprinkler head is vital. Repeated spraying against the trunk can also be damaging to the bark. Instead, choose sprinkler heads that spray low to the ground, or opt for a drip system around the tree. Not only does this protect leaf and bark, it also ensures that less moisture is lost to evaporation.
For more help, contact a tree trimming and care professional like those at Vista Tree Service in your area.
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