I can’t tell you how many times we get these question, “Should I be watering my trees even though its cold?”. The short answer is YES! Plants are living things, so yes you need to be watering them! Now, as the weather changes the needs of the tree/ plant changes too. Trees are just like humans and pets- the hotter it is the thirstier they are. With that said there is a sweet spot to watering. So, an easy break down is this…
Water in 10 minute increments always!
Temperatures 90 degrees and above -> water 4-5 times a week.
Temperatures 60-90 degrees -> water 3-4 times a week.
Temperatures consistently lower than 60 degrees -> water 1-2 times a week.
Freezing -> DO NOT WATER!
Let me also cover here that there is a correct way to water the tree too!
For your tree to get the most out of your watering you want to.
1. I will say it again ONLY WATER THE TREE 10 MINUTES AT A TIME. You aren’t doing the tree any favors by watering it slowly for longer, actually you could be causing harm. When a tree is slowly but constantly receiving water the soils nutrients will become diluted and can even cause root rot to form.
2. Find the trees drip line. What’s a drip line and how do I find it? The drip line is the edge of the canopy. Look up to the canopy of your tree. Find the end of the furthest outreaching branch. Now draw a line straight down to the ground, that’s your drip line. The roots are responsible for the water intake and the root tips are at that drip line.
3. Don’t water the actual trunk of your tree. You want to start two feet from the base of the trunk and work out to the drip line we talked about so the roots get the water.
Lastly….
Always stick with a schedule. Sticking with a schedule will keep your trees from stressing with the changing weather conditions.
