Depth and Time
Water trees to a depth of 2-3 feet throughout and a little beyond the canopy area. You should be able to push a probe easily 2-3 feet until it reaches dry soil and slows down. Probe several times to avoid rocks and large roots. Generally, small trees should be watered 3-6 hours, medium trees 6-9 hours, and large trees 9-12 hours. The total time will depend on your soil type and location, so experiment to find what works best for your trees.
Frequency
Spring: Begin when leaf buds elongate and ground is not frozen. Irrigate as necessary (considering rainfall) or once every two weeks for the depth and time indicated above.
Summer: Irrigate trees deeply once every five to eight days, regardless of rainfall or lawn irrigation.
Fall: Stop irrigating deciduous trees around Labor Day to harden them off for winter. Continue to irrigate evergreens once every two weeks until Thanksgiving weekend or until the ground is frozen, whichever comes first. Evergreens lose water through their needles throughout the winter.
If you do not have an automatic irrigation system or have it timed for shallow lawn watering:
Connect hose bib connector to one end of a 50-100 foot length of black poly tube and crimp or plug the other end. Punch holes in the poly tube every two feet and Insert 2 gal / hr drip emitters into holes.
Lay drip hose in an S pattern throughout the canopy area of the tree (from the trunk to the dripline) or a little beyond. The loops should be about three feet apart.
Water to the depth, time and frequency indicated above. Experiment to determine the time needed to water to the appropriate depth for each of your trees.
Questions? Contact Dudley’s Trees Inc. today.