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How Much Water?
Mesa Tree Talk
By Warner Working
How much water do trees need in the summer?
The single most important thing you can do to keep your trees healthy is to make sure they get enough water. ‘How much water is enough?’ seems like an easy question to answer, however, assessing how much water your tree really needs is not an easy answer to come by.
Trees very in their water requirements. Some trees, like Olives or Mesquites, are drought resistant; while others need more water to stay healthy. Also, the amount of water a tree needs to stay healthy is dependant on its location, size and general health.
To complicate matters more, we are currently in a drought in one of the hottest places on the planet, so the tree will need more water, more often than it would in a time of normal rain.
Fortunately, there are easy ways to determine if your trees are getting enough water.
Tree leaves expel water as part of their normal function. Feel the leaves in the mornings. If you slide a leaf between your fingers and feel slight moisture, the tree is probably getting enough water.
Take a good look at your tree, especially the top and the outer leaves.
Those parts are at the edge of the plant’s water transport system, and will dry out first if something is wrong. Do they appear dry or dead, or do they appear green and healthy? If they don’t appear healthy, then in most cases it’s advisable to increase your watering.
check the ground
After the tree has been watered, check the ground by pressing a long screwdriver into the watered soil around the tree. Is the ground moist under the canopy, at least 12 inches down? If not, you’re not watering long enough for that cycle.
Use common sense. Ask yourself, ‘how much water from rainfall did this type of tree get in its’ natural place of origin?’ You can be sure it will need more here, unless it is a local native tree.
If your tree is a local native tree, you can get a good starting point for water requirements at The Arid Zone Website.
Keep steps 1 through 4 in mind, and adjust the watering up when
necessary, especially in the summer.