Good question. I can relate. I recently purchased a home and have been planting trees all over the place...and I was carrying buckets of water as well. Now, I just take three extra long hoses, connect them together, and try to reach those trees that are so far away.

It's a pain... and I just finished my once weekly watering of those distant trees about an hour ago! The drought is getting annoying!!! The year I get involved in a tree-planting marathon is the same year we have a record breaking drought. Hopefully, I will be able to be less judicious about watering next year... the trees, I hope, will be more able to fend for themselves.

I'm not sure "how much" water to apply. I try to ensure that a) I water slowly enough that the water seems to be soaking *into* the ground right where the root ball is. and b) to ensure that the ground is clearly saturated.

When I'm lazy, I take the little hand sprayer and slightly unscrew it from the hose end so that it drips pretty good... then, I'll just lay that at the base of the tree and then move it to the next tree after 30 minutes or so.

I also try to allow the ground to thoroughly dry out before watering again. Just a little bit of drought-"stress" may be beneficial in producing a tree that can handle future droughts.

It's such a pain, that I also paid a visit to home depot to see if it would be worth it to lay out a drip irrigation system for those trees.

I'll throw in my 2 cents worth on watering. I keep several one gallon milk jugs on hand that have had a small hole punched in them at the base. I fill these with water and set them by my tree seedlings and small shrubs and the water trickles slowly and soaks directly into the root area. This method works well for me, probably because I tend to plant very small trees (but lots of them!). For larger trees you just use a larger container or set multiple jugs around the base. Of course, if you are having to carry 5 gal buckets because your hose won't reach to where your trees are planted this may not be useful for you.

Don't worry about getting it exactly right. There's just too many variables. You gave good advise in your posting when you said, "new trees and shrubs should be watered deeply during drought so as to encourage deep root growth, rather than frequent light waterings." I would add that this applies to all trees and shrubs really.

You don't want to let the soil (say 2" below the surface) completey dry out. If you think it's time to water, dig a hole a couple of inches down in the dirt. If the soil is dry below 2", it's time to water. Don't keep the soil (at root level) wet, but also don't let it get less than at least slightly moist.

P.S. If you get all of your trees and shrubs watered and still have the desire to water more, I know where you could water till your heart's content. (-;

Good advice above. The rule of thumb in the landscape trade is water in very well when planting and then make sure newly installed material gets 1 1/2 to 2" of water a week for at least a year -- two is better. If we ever get rain again, a rain gauge helps you know how much actually fell, and you can use it with a sprinkler the same way. I've used tuna cans, actually.

Brandon's advice about digging down a few inches is the way to go if you're hauling water. I'd also strongly suggest mulching as a way to preserve soil moisture and keep the root run cooler, if you haven't mulched your trees already. But not a mulch volcano! All you need is 2-3" of pine bark mulch over the rootball. Keep the mulch about 3" away from the trunk.

There's a product called a Tree Gator that can help, but they're pricey. Basically it's a rubberized slotted donut shape that you place around the trunk over the rootball and fill with water which then slowly leaks out into the rootball. Worth doing if you've got a mega-expensive Jap Maple or something. They're available at garden centers.

You probably already know this, but fall (Nov-Dec) is the best time to do put large woodies in, rather than spring. Trees grow 90% of their new roots over the winter, and it gives newly planted stock a much better chance of surviving the stress of summer heat and drought.

Marty

Brandon, Marty, thanks so much for taking the time to help. I was hoping I'd hear from you, Brandon, but I think I'll pass on your generous offer .... that is if I ever do get caught up on my watering!

Frances