Should You Water the Trees in Your Yard?

Posted on: Feb 13, 2019Jordyn Rowntree

For whatever reason, perhaps it’s their stature, trees are regarded differently from other vegetation on our yards. It leads to people wondering whether they should be watering their trees the way they do with their other plants. It is true that trees differ in some important ways to other vegetation. Ultimately, however, they are the same in that they require the same sustenance to survive and grow.

Thus, in a word, the answer to the titular question is yes.

However, that yes comes with a number of qualifications that we will get to imminently that decide the degree of tree watering. While all trees should be watered, the amount will vary a great deal depending on the type of tree, the stage of maturity it’s in, the season, and the climate you live in.

A newly planted tree will need the most watering of all, especially if it’s hot and dry.

You should immediately water a new tree, ensuring the soil is always moist but not drenched (then you’d be over-watering it). This when the tree establishes its roots and gains its foundation. This might mean watering it as often as every day the first couple of weeks. Even after this initial period, the moisture level of the soil should be checked frequently in the first year or two, until its roots are established.

Watering an established tree can be a much less hands-on affair, as its roots will be deep enough to get access to moisture by itself. Nonetheless, it should be watered about once a week. With a good general rule being 10 gallons of water per inch of the tree trunk’s diameter.

Additional factors to consider when watering your tree include frequency of rain, as that can take care of your watering needs naturally. Also, the species of your tree, as some are drought-resistant and others moisture-tolerant. They will require very different amounts of water as a result.