How To Water Newly Planted Trees And Shrubs

Almost all of us are aware of the importance of water for trees. Particularly, newly planted trees can cause death due to a lack of water for several days. But only a few people know the proper way to water newly planted trees and shrubs.

After reading this article, you are going to get an in-depth knowledge of watering newly planted trees. Along with this, we are going to cover some related queries such as whether you can overwater a newly planted tree and how much water shrubs need per week.

Overall, you’re going to learn the most efficient way to water newly planted trees.

5 Steps To Water Newly Planted Trees and Shrubs In the Correct Way

Step 1: Build A Little Basin

First of all, you have to start by digging a little basin with soil surrounding the dripline. It will assist the root to absorb the water properly. Along with this, it will make sure that the water that you are going to apply won’t pour away from the roots.

Step 2: Apply Mulch

It will be helpful for the moisture retention capability of soils. Apart from this, it works effectively to control weeds. Therefore, you are going to get multiple benefits from that. It will prevent the water from evaporating.

Step 3: Water Newly Planted Trees and Shrubs

You can water newly planted trees and shrubs in several ways. The best method will be to use an adjustable spray nozzle as you can control the speed of the water. You should do watering at a gentle speed. Otherwise, it can damage the roots of your trees. Make sure that the water doesn’t wash away the soil.

Step 4: Wait & Repeat The Watering Process

After you fill the little basin around the tree dripline, you have to wait for a while to allow the soil to soak the water. It will make the soil saturated and the water will settle down to the ground. After that, you have to repeat the previous watering process once again. Newly planted shrubs and trees need more water. Therefore, you have to do watering twice.

Step 5: Use A Soaker Hose

You have to cover the dripline by using a soaker hose at the base of your newly planted trees. Simply, you can bend the soaker hose in a circle shape and place it at the base. After that, you have to cover the soaker hose using some mulch. It will help the soil around the root to conserve moisture.

That’s the most efficient way to water newly planted trees and shrubs. If you have just planted some new trees in your yards, you can follow the above process to help your tree to grow faster. Some people think that overwatering can assist the tree to grow even faster as water is highly essential for the tree. Let me reveal the actual fact.

Can You Overwater A Newly Planted Tree?

Not at all, you can’t overwater a newly planted tree. Otherwise, it will damage the tree.

Watering is mandatory for trees but over-watering can damage the tree and even can lead to death. The roots of newly planted trees are too weak. That is why overwatering will damage the root. The tree will die within a few days if you don’t stop overwatering. You should water gently.

At this point, you might be thinking about the difference between proper watering and over-watering. To get to know about the answer you have to understand how much water a newly planted tree needs. Here you go.

How Much Water Newly Planted Trees and Shrubs Required?

Considering factors like the Caliper of Tree Trunk and Root Establishment time, you need to choose how much watering you should do. Here’s the chart for you.

Tree Trunk Measurement ( In Inches)	Root Establishment Time ( In Years)	Required Water Per Irrigation ( In Gallons)
1	1.5	1-1.5
2	3	2-3
3	4.5	3-4.5
4	6	4-6
5	7.5	5-7.5
6	9	6-9

So, the above table shows that as the tree gets bigger it needs more water to survive. If you have just planted a new tree or shrub and the tree trunk size is less than 1 inch, you should apply nearly 1-1.5 gallons of water. After watering several times, you will get to a rhythm automatically on when to water your trees. If you notice dryness near the tree roots or the leaves looking dry, you should water the tree immediately.

In the summer season, trees require the most amount of water. For the rainy season, you should lower the amount of water as the tree can extract enough water from the soil. If there is less than 2.5 mm of rain, then you have to water newly planted trees and shrubs even after it rains.

Precaution: If the tree roots get exposed due to rain, you should cover the area using soil before you water the tree. While watering newly planted trees, spray water at a gentle pace.

How Long To Water New Shrubs With Soaker Hose?

Some of you may get confused about how long to water new shrubs with a soaker hose. While spraying water with a soaker hose,  you don’t know the exact amount of water that’s why it gets confusing.

Run the soaker hose for around 30 minutes to water new shrubs. Do it twice in a week.

For flowers, you need to reduce the time duration to around 10 minutes. Overwatering can cause massive damage to the flowers as they are more vulnerable compared to woody plants.

How Much Water Do Shrubs Need Per Week?

Newly planted trees require nearly 5 to 10 gallons of water per week. Maintain around one inch of water every week.

You can lower the amount during the rainy season. If there is heavy rain, you can stop watering the tree for several days. In summer, you can increase the amount considering the soil moisture level and dryness.

How Frequent To Water New Shrubs In Hot Weather?

In Hot Weather, newly planted shrubs require more water than ever. You should regularly water new shrubs in hot weather. If the dryness level of the soil is too high, you can even water multiple times in a day. But make sure that the water doesn’t wash away the soil near the root. Otherwise, it will be damaging to the tree. Then, you will feel like a Schlemiel.

Before we jump to the conclusion, let me give you some bonus tips so that you can water your trees properly. That’s applicable to all types of trees and shrubs.

Golden Tips To Water Newly Planted Trees and Shrubs Properly

Check Soil Moisture Level

To choose the right amount of Water, you should check the moisture level of the soil. You need to dig near the tree root about 5-6 inches. Be careful not to damage the tree roots. If you find the soil damp, then you can water moderately. For too much dry soil, you need to water the tree more frequently.

Morning Is The Best Time

Many of us want to know about the most preferable time to water a tree. Morning is the best time for watering. As the days progress, the evaporation rate increases to nearly 35-40%. In that case, you can apply mulch to avoid evaporation.

Observe Soil Type

The more you can discover about the type of soil, you will get specific data to water the tree accurately. You can keep an eye on the time duration for the soil to dry out from wet conditions. Track it after watering several times. Clay soil is most capable of holding moisture for a longer period.

Final Thoughts

At this point, you have comprehensive guidelines on how to water newly planted trees and shrubs. Overall, you need to apply nearly 2 Gallons of water for new trees. At a young stage, you need to water trees more frequently.

As the tree gets older, you can water less frequently but you have to increase the amount of water. When you water newly planted trees by following the method we mentioned, eventually you are most likely to get a healthy mature tree. 

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