As summer temperatures set in, it is important to remember to provide adequate water to any trees and shrubs still in their first two growing seasons.
New plantings at this time of year should be watered as follows:
- Deeply water at planting
- For the first two weeks, water 3x a week or about every other day
- For the next three weeks, water twice a week
- Plan to water weekly after this point unless you receive 1″ of rainfall that week at your location
The best time to water is typically during the earlier part of the morning/day as the afternoon can evaporate water much more quickly and evening can encourage fungal problems for some plants. A 2-3″ later of mulch helps retain water. Even drought tolerant plants need regular watering until they are established.
What is deep watering?
Deep watering is simply providing a slow flow of water for an extended period to your plant with your hose. (Typical landscape irrigation does not provide this kind of deep watering) The amount needed will depend on the plant size. A three gallon plant may just need one minute of soaking while a 25 gallon maybe need 10 minutes.
Special Note on Dogwoods:
Be sure to water even older more mature Dogwood trees during severe drought periods at the first sign of leaves wilting. Dogwoods are shallow rooted and cannot draw moisture from deep in the soil. The most severe drought stress typically occurs in late summer.
