Is the ground frozen? Are you having a drought?

same answer as you other post... a tree is a tree.. i really wouldnt differentiate based on type ...

===>>>

insert finger and FIND OUT ....

a dormant tree surely doesnt need much of anything ... but drought is
drought.. and sometimes winter can be the one season that no one
expects drought ... you dont mention if its properly mulched ....

soooo.. find out ...

ken

The ground is not frozen. We don't really have mulch but many leaves on top that keep in moisture.

When I've done moisture reader previously it was dry but we've had some rain lately.

So, my questions are:

1) If moisture reader is dry, how many days can a weeping river birch tree in the winter go without water? (Hypothetically speaking. Our ground had rain recently).

2) If ground freezes, or our temps have been under freezing or weeks on end, does that put tree into real hibernation and means it doesn't need water while ground is in deep freeze?

Thanks!

I try to make sure that every tree planted within a year, gets an inch of water a week. You have to make sure you have a rain gauge.

Don't do it as often during the winter because the ground holds moisture longer (never freezes here). Not so often the second year, but after that if I cant reach it with a hose it probably wont get watered.

Having some form of berm around the tree helps along with some type of mulch.

Less that the ground freezing makes watering unnecessary then that it makes it ineffective. If the ground freezes, it becomes hard for the tree to draw moisture from the soil, and drainage becomes more problematic. So, watering probably wouldn't help.

Your tree should be in hibernation...and in hibernation it uses less water then it does in the summer. A mature tree should have stored up all the water it needs for the winter by November, but your tree is very young. If you've had an unusual drought I'd water it every few weeks unless the soil is frozen.

I wouldn't worry about it until spring.

Midorit, unfortunately the answers are not super exact. In general with new transplants over the winter if we somehow have a dry week I start fingering their dirt to check on their moisture levels.

Your climate may vary so it is best to just check.

Think of tree transplant survival in terms of percentages. If you plant 100 just above bare root size and do everything perfectly maybe 95% will make it IF they were handled right at the nursery and IF it is a transplant friendly species. Then go from there based on climate and your ability to keep deer away. We just can't micro-manage the situation to know more for each exact transplant.....I have been watching Star Trek recently, we need tri-corders to see underground!

In Z8 Texas, most newly planted trees (1st yr) will survive without additional watering once they go dormant if they received 2" or more of rainfall per month. This includes bald cypress and cottonwood. I have not tried river birch, but I would imagine it is similar to bald cypress.

Watering is only necessary in the winter if you have a drought. Have you had one?

Thanks everyone! No real drought here so that's good.

I think I'll check it every week or so if we've had no rain and other than that just let it do its thing! Thank you SO MUCH! :)