Watering Trees During Drought
When should you water?
Check with your city or local water company for possible restrictions on watering methods and frequency during drought. You can water your trees at any time but if you can, avoid watering during the hottest part of the day — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., to avoid excessive evaporation.
How often should you water?
During extreme droughts, mature trees may need to be watered every two to three weeks, while younger, newly planted trees may need to be watered closer to about two to three times a week.
You can use a screwdriver to determine if it’s time to water; simply try to push it into the ground. If the ground is dry, you won’t be able to. If the ground is wet, you will. If you can’t get your screwdriver to easily go at least 6 to 8 inches into the ground, it’s time to water.
What is the best way to water your tree?
For large, valuable yard trees, you can water with a garden hose or soaker hose — both preferred methods, especially underwater usage restrictions — or a sprinkler, which is the fastest way to water large areas. A 5-gallon bucket with holes drilled into the bottom can be used to water smaller trees.
What if you have in-ground, pop-up, automatic sprinklers?
Take a screwdriver and poke it into the soil under the tree as described above. If it doesn’t go 6 to 8 inches deep in the soil, give your tree more water with the outlined methods.
What should I not do during a drought?
Don’t apply high-salt, quick-release fertilizers or dig under the canopy of a tree during a severe drought. It’s also not a good idea to prune live branches off young trees. They may need these branches once the rain returns.
Work and I get more information about tree care?
Contact a local, certified arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture or Texas A&M Forest Service. Visit Trees Are Good or the Texas A&M Forest Service website for more information about drought and trees.
Water your trees
Watch our instructional video detailing the four watering methods.