How to water young trees

5 years ago

I have planted a couple of trees coupe of months ago. They were bareroot, about 5 ft dormant trees.

I am new to gardening, therefore asking for an advice.

I know that it's better to water grass less frequent, but deeper. Thinking that trees would love the same (deeper means closer to rots), I have dug up basins around each tree. Each basin is a 5 inch deep dohnut shaped ring so that water is close to the tree, but doesn't touch a trunk. Each basin holds 2.5 gallon of water and I fill them every other day. My thinking was that if I fill a basin with 2.5 gallon of water, the water will seep through the soil around the tree fast and reach the roots better than from a slow release. It takes about 30 min (maybe less, I didn't time it) for all water to seep in.

However, I just came across the product called tree watering bag or irrigation bag, which is filled with 15 gallon of water and releases the water slowly through holes in the bottom over period of days. I thought that keeping soil constantly wet would cause mold and rot, that is why I designed basins that deliver water fast to the roots. Watering/irrigation bags seem to work opposite than basins that I designed to deliver water to my trees.

Which way is better - deliver water fast to roots by filling a basin, or slow release using irrigation bags? How much water is needed and how often? I live in NJ and the temperature is now in high eighties with no rain in the forecast for next two weeks.

I'm specifically talking about young fruit trees that were panted just two months ago. They are still about 5 foot tall and about an inch in diameter.

Thank you.

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Comments (7)

ymg200
Original Author
5 years ago
I searched "how to water a young tree" in youtube and the first video that popped up says "Water deeply and infrequently". That's exactly what I tried to achieve by filling basins around trees. However, the concept of irrigation bags that release water slowly and over long period of time is totally opposite to "deeply an infrequently". Please help me understand.
cecily 7A
5 years ago
The bags are useful for commercial landscapers who can't visit a site twice a week to water. Your basins are good for your situation. But do stick your finger down into the soil before watering. Your subsoil may still be wet if it's clay based.
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krnuttle
5 years ago
The basin around the tree is exactly the way the commercial company planted our Nuttal oak. about 10 years age. It is now a beautiful tree.

While the basin words great in the first few month while the tree is establishing itself, there is a danger. It the basin is left to long the tree roots will grow towards the surface, ie the surface to the ring that forms the walls of the basin. I waited to long and now I have some surface roots around the tree.

I saw the roots when I removed the ring and tried to bury the roots, but after a year or so they came up to the surface.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
you are spot on....

let it dry ... take a hand trowel.. dig a 3 to 6 inch hole .. FIND OUT whats going on down there ...

then water ... and the next day dig another hole... and FIND OUT ...etc ...

how it all works in your soil is for you to FIND OUT ...

no reason not to full the moat with mulch ...

my moats were about 3 to 4 foot round.. i have no clue how many gallons they held ...

ken

here is an example of a moat on the side of a hill. for a small conifer ... it was requisite else.. i would have never got water to soak into the soil without flowing away ... this one is not 3 feet obviously
User
5 years ago
My understanding of those commercial bags: their key is the slow release of water, the water has time to seep in slowly, and doesn't ever flood all the air and oxygen out of the soil. For home use I prefer the moat, flood it every couple days approach too.
User
5 years ago
I would think that trees planted 'a couple of months ago' should be on a regular watering schedule by now and not kept 'wet' all the time. And that can vary depending on type of trees.

Plus soil, location and climate, which you never have told us (unless I missed it) but you should have an idea of when it's time to water just by prior experience gardening there.

Trees need to somewhat 'dry out' between watering so the roots are not deprived of oxygen. The idea of having to be continuously wet does not increase any benefits to the root system.

Again, unless you are in a drought prone or semi to arid region, don't drown your trees after the transplanting stress is past and root systems are working properly.
Jameszone7a Philadelphia
5 years ago
Finally got to see a picture of kens yard !