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Water is the one of the keys to a healthy tree. Too little or too much can kill a tree. So, how are you supposed to find the happy medium to ensure a healthy tree? A tree's watering needs will change throughout its life. There are several issues that the average tree owner needs to be aware of to maintain a healthy tree, including the questions how often, how much, and where do I water?
Let's first start with the question of where to water. When you first bring home a sapling from the nursery, the roots are confined to a small area only a couple of feet in diameter. In this case watering close to the stem makes sense; this is where the roots are. But as the tree grows the roots grow as well. In typical lawn situations a trees roots will grow out radially from the tree. As the roots grow further from the trunk, the hose should also move. One general guide to estimate where your roots are is for every inch of trunk diameter, estimate 1 1/2 feet of root radius. For example, if your tree has a diameter of 20 inches, the roots probably have a radius of 30 feet. This is where you want to be watering.
Of course trees grow in places other than large lawns. If a tree is growing in a boulevard with the street on one side and a sidewalk on the other, its root structure will be different. In a narrow boulevard the root system will be narrower but longer. For example, if you have a mature tree in a boulevard 4 feet wide by 30 feet long, expect that the roots will also be 4 feet by 30 feet. In either case the entire root system needs to be watered not just against the trunk.
The two tricky questions are how much water and how often. Here, there are so many factors to take into consideration. Soil type, level of compaction, and species, are all important in determining the amount and frequency of watering. Most trees prefer moist soils, not drenched, and not dry, but somewhere in between. The top 6 to 8 inches of soil should be kept moist. There is no exact way to determine "moist soil". This is a good time to dig a small hole 6-8 inches down and see how dry or saturated the soil is. If the soil is slightly moist, you're on the right track. If it's bone dry, you need to intensify the watering. Rather than frequent shallow watering, use less frequent but more intense watering sessions.
Dry sandy soils will leach water more quickly. These types of soils will likely need to be watered more frequently. Heavy clay or compacted soils tend to retain moisture more readily. How do you know what kind of soil you have? Again dig a small hole and feel the soil. Is it coarse and sand like? Or is it slick and compact? Loam is the medium between sand and clay; this will feel light and fluffy and have a nice dark color.
Mulching over the root system helps to prevent water loss and keep the soil moist during dry weather. Make sure the soil is moist before you add mulch. Use 3-4 inches of mulch but avoid mulching against the stem of the tree, as this can lead to decay.
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