Helping Our Urban Trees Help Us
Trees need the right kind of watering to mature into carbon sequestering, urban cooling powerhouses. Deep watering sends roots deep into soil, making trees hardier during dry weather and preventing surface roots from causing damage. Deep watering yields less water long term.
Solid Foundation for New Trees
- Berm: create a ridge of soil creating a basin with the tree trunk in the center to keep water where needed
- Once every two weeks, apply five gallons of water within the berm, keeping the berm intact.
Keeping Old Trees Strong
Established trees do best with heavy, slow watering.
- Apply 80 to 100 gallons three times a year during the warm season.
- Place a soaker hose away from the trunk within the tree’s dripline (the outermost edge of the leaf canopy).
Check your soaker hose's gallon-per-hour output and calculate accordingly. A 50-foot hose watering ½- to 1-gallon per foot per hour must run for about 2 hours to deliver 50 to 100 gallons. It sounds like a lot of water, but at three times per year, the total water cost is $3.20, much less than replacing a hard-working tree!
