The first two weeks

For the first two weeks, you want to ensure that you are watering your new tree – or trees! – each day. You can usually leave the hose on the base of your tree for 10 to 15 minutes, but make sure it’s on a gentle trickle, so that the water can be absorbed and won’t wash away the soil and nutrients from the root ball. This is a rough rule of thumb, however; you can water most accurately based on the size of the tree.

The next two to 12 weeks

For the third through twelfth weeks, the tree will need to be watered every two to three days. Pay particular attention to hot days – when the temperature is over 30°C – and when it rains.

After 12 weeks

Water weekly until the roots are established. *Roots may not be established until the following year, so put a pause in your watering in the fall and resume the same weekly watering schedule next spring!

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How much water?

Measure the caliper of the tree.

The caliper of the tree is the diameter of the tree 6” above the ground. So: measure 6” up the trunk, then measure across the tree at the 6” level to determine how many inches across the tree is. If the diameter is more than 4”, measure the caliper from 12” above the ground.

The caliper of the tree is roughly the same amount as the number of gallons that the tree requires. Ie, 1 inch = 1 gallon. See the handy chart below!

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Where to water?

Apply water directly over the root ball. This applies especially within the first season; after the first year, you want to extend to watering around the edge of the drip line.

Be sure to keep the backfill soil in the planting hole moist, as this will encourage the roots to extend beyond the edges of the root ball.

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Mulching

Mulching can reduce the amount of water loss that occurs from evaporation. It also enables the tree to compete with the turf. The turf and the tree will compete for nutrients, water, and space, and the turf roots will often win because its dense root system prevents the tree from producing roots in that space that would otherwise be able to use those nutrients. Therefore, you should remove the turf and weeds from the base of the tree out to several feet beyond the plant canopy. Apply a 3-inch layer of mulch around the tree. This will help keep the water from evaporating and keep weeds down in the area. However, don’t add more than 3 inches of mulch, because this can lead to too much water in the area, leading to root rot. It can also be an invitation to rodents that may overwinter there and strip the bark of the tree under the snow.

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Have I watered enough?

If the tree is flagging – that is, the leaves are starting to point downwards and becoming limp to the touch – that may mean you need to water more or more often. Try increasing your water amount to see if the tree responds. After flagging, leaves will start to curl downwards. Prevent the leaves from going crispy by setting yourself a daily reminder!

Note: if you are storing your trees before planting them, you will absolutely need to water them at least once daily, perhaps twice! If your trees are still in their pots, they will need to be watered a lot!

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Have I watered too much?

This is tricky, because the trees won’t send you a lot of signals that it is being overwatered until root rot has occurred, and then it’s difficult to fix. The leaves may curl upwards if they are being overwatered – but they will also do this if it is too hot!

The best way to prevent overwatering is to water the tree based on its caliper. Otherwise, you can check the soil by taking a piece of rebar and placing it into the soil in the root ball about 6 to 8 inches down. If you bring it up and it’s covered in mud, there’s too much water! You may consider checking the soil with the rebar every other day before you water to monitor your watering.

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As always, if you have follow up questions regarding the care of your trees, let us know!