When and How Much to Water Newly-Planted Trees: 5 Watering Tips

Early spring is an ideal time for planting new trees in your yard. Planting in spring means that your new tree has ample time to set down roots and adapt to its new location before next winter. It also gives it some time to adjust before the heat of summer, which can cause stress to many plants. 

The best time to put new trees in the ground is while they are still dormant. For many, this means late winter, as soon as the ground is workable. In warmer climates, you can plant your trees even earlier, as long as you’re able to dig a hole. Whatever the time of year, new trees need some special care considerations. 

Perhaps the most important care these young plants need is consistent and appropriate watering. Water is necessary for root development, and it helps buffer the shock of transplanting. It’s vital to establish a routine that addresses your tree’s needs from the time of planting through the end of its first year. 

Your irrigation regularity will shift a few times over the span of that first year. The most important stage is the first few weeks, but even once your plant comes out of dormancy and starts putting out new growth, it will continue to need special consideration. Let’s take a look at how your irrigation routine should evolve over the coming year. 

Be Generous At Planting Time

Transplanting a tree is a stressful event, and water is a key factor in minimizing that stress. It’s vital to help your plant acclimate to its new home. Another important factor in root development is the soil. Compacted soil is tougher for those roots to break through. Looser soil promotes better development.

When you plant your tree, make sure to water it the day before. Dig a hole that is as deep and at least twice as wide as the root ball. This loosens the ground directly around the ball, allowing for good root development. 

Water the hole before placing your tree. Fill the hole with water, and then plant your tree and backfill with soil. Immediately after planting, water deeply, soaking the ground. If the water prompts the soil to sink slightly, add more soil to the sunken area. Deep watering means deep roots. 

Cover the ground around the trunk with a thick layer of mulch to protect the roots and help retain moisture. You don’t want the soil to dry out completely while the plant is acclimating. Leave a few inches of space between the mulch and the trunk so it will form a sort of doughnut. This reservoir will hold water in place so it can absorb rather than running off. It also keeps pests and diseases from sitting against the trunk. 

Keep it Up For the First Few Weeks

This next category covers about two to three weeks, and it’s a vital time to keep up with care. Your plant will need moisture, consistently during this time. The amount of rainfall will naturally change the frequency that you need to water. The general rule is every day to every other day for the first few weeks. 

If you get a significant amount of rainfall, you can adjust this. But, significant means at least one inch. Otherwise, make sure you stay on top of it. This is the most vital time in reducing stress and helping your tree to recover from transplanting. 

Maintain Moisture Through the First Season

For the first season after planting, you’ll need to continue watering regularly. If you planted in the spring, that means you should follow this guideline for about 12 weeks, until early summer. During this time, you can reduce from every day to once every two to three days. 

You want to thoroughly soak the ground, reaching all the way down past the roots of your plant. Go slowly so that all the moisture absorbs into the ground rather than running off. A good way to do this is to wet the ground first. If the earth is too dry, it won’t be as absorbent. 

After wetting the root zone and allowing that to soak in, set your hose to a slow stream and lay it on the ground. Allow the water to soak that area, and then move it around the tree’s dripline to ensure moisture gets to the entire root system. 

Adjust Throughout the First Year

From here, we move on to the duration of the year. It may seem like three months is enough to get your tree acclimated. But it truly takes closer to a year for the roots to grow into the surrounding earth. Once this happens, and they grow deeper, they will find water more easily.

If you planted in spring, I recommend watering regularly through the summer. The general rule is once per week after the first 12 weeks, but summer weather should dictate frequency. 

If you get a lot of rain in the summer, once per week should be plenty. My Florida summers are hot and can be dry during some years. In this event, it’s good to water anytime the ground is dry. Don’t underestimate the value of mulch to retain moisture in the earth. Mulch is quite beneficial to your new plants, and old ones, too.

As you move into fall, you can reduce to once per week unless you’re getting regular precipitation. As the weather cools off and your tree begins to enter dormancy, it will require and use fewer resources. Reduce watering to once every two weeks for the remaining months. 

It can take up to two years for your tree to establish a strong root system. Don’t make the mistake of giving up early and expecting the second year to be maintenance-free. Make sure you pay attention to moisture levels and supplement when you need to, throughout that second year. 

Account for Influencing Factors

As with most things in gardening, there are exceptions to consider. Different environmental factors should influence your routines and decisions when it comes to watering. 

Soil

Your soil composition plays a starring role in watering. Not all types offer the same water retention, which can be good and bad. The ideal type of soil for most plants is loamy and well-draining. If you have a lot of clay or sand to contend with, you’ll need to factor that into your schedule. 

Clay-heavy ground tends to compact easily, and though it can absorb and contain a lot of moisture, drainage is often an issue. Overwatering can be as harmful as underwatering because it often leads to root rot. If you have poor drainage, reduce watering accordingly. 

Conversely, sand has the opposite issue. It drains quickly and doesn’t have good retention. It’s difficult to overwater your plants if you have soil with a high sand content. 

Weather

Naturally, rain is an influencing factor here because if you get a lot of rain, you won’t need to water as frequently or as much. Remember that one-inch rule. If you get less than one inch of rain in the interval between waterings, you need to take action. That means for newly planted trees, one inch of rain every two to three days for the first 12 weeks would be necessary. 

Heat and sun exposure are also important factors to consider. Heat and sun influence evaporation. If it’s very hot outside, the soil will dry faster, and you’ll want to compensate. This is why I say that if you planted in spring, you may want to continue watering frequently through the summer. 

Drainage

We addressed this to a degree when talking about soil composition, but there are other things that can influence drainage. For example, if you are at the top of a hill, chances are you will have better drainage than someone at the bottom of a valley. Water flows downward, so low-lying spaces need less frequent watering, and vice-versa. 

Type of Tree

Finally, the type of tree you plant also makes a difference. For the first few weeks, most are similar, but some trees need a lot more moisture than others going forward. Make sure to identify the type you are planting and research the moisture needs of that particular plant.