Newly planted trees or shrubs require more frequent watering than established trees and shrubs. They should be watered at planting time and at these intervals:
- 1 to 2 weeks after planting, water daily.
- 3 to 12 weeks after planting, water every 2 to 3 days.
- After 12 weeks, water weekly until roots are established.
How long does it take for tree and shrub roots to establish? Newly planted trees are considered established when their root spread equals the spread of the above-ground canopy. This will take one to two years.
How much to water newly planted trees
When watering newly planted trees, apply 1 to 1-1/2 gallons per inch of diameter of the tree’s trunk at each watering. As roots grow and spread, irrigation volume will need to be increased.
Where to water
Apply water directly over the root ball.
Be sure to keep the backfill soil in the planting hole moist. This encourages the roots to expand beyond the root ball into the backfill soil.
Tree roots grow approximately 18 inches per year, so expand the area being watered over time.
Create a water reservoir by making a circular mound of earth 3 to 4 inches high around the plant at the edge of the root ball.
Use a slow trickle of water to fill the reservoir to allow water to slowly infiltrate into and around the root ball.
Treegator® bags can also be used to provide a slow delivery of water over the root balls of establishing trees and shrubs. Treegator® bags hold 14-15 gallons of water and release a slow trickle of water over 5-9 hours.
