Should You Water Your Trees?

Flowerbeds, landscaped gardens, and smaller plants need regular care and maintenance – the most basic of these maintenance procedures is watering. So there’s no wonder why the most common question asked by many property owners is should you water your trees.

Trees make a welcome addition to any landscape. They’re perfect when you want to improve your yard or garden’s aesthetics, but more importantly, they will also make the soil more erosion-resistant and provide shade and windbreaks. Unfortunately, many homeowners feel that these rugged perennials are virtually self-maintaining. That is not always the case and trees need extra care just like any other plant. A good example of this is in times of drought which leads to the question do you need to water your trees.

Water Your Trees When Necessary

The Texas Forestry Service estimates that the state lost some 5 million trees because of drought. That’s a lot of breathable oxygen that those in Texas lose each year as a result. Since Florida experiences sunny weather most of the year, it’s likely you’re your trees are not getting hydrated as needed. Although whole forests obviously can’t be watered, the trees in your yard can and should be watered during low rainfall periods. Your trees in your yard definitely can use some watering help from you during any extended dry periods.

Periods of drought are not the only time to water your trees. There are times one of your trees may appear to be unhealthy. If the bark or leaves of a tree start to feel dry and brittle it can be a sign that the tree is experiencing a health-related water deficiency. Watering an unhealthy tree along with injections and fertilization is usually the key to saving them.

Newly planted trees require more water than established trees do. So some extra watering is required during and after they are freshly planted. Once a hole has been dug to plant a new tree ball, that hole should be watered extensively before placing the tree inside of it. The soil should then be thoroughly saturated again with water after the tree has been planted too. Not only does this provide the young tree with the water it so badly needs, but it will also settle the soil in place firmly around the tree and remove any trapped air pockets.

Tree Watering Method

When you water your trees, you don’t want to get out a hose and spray down their leaves. Although trees do absorb some moisture naturally through their leaves, the bulk of the essential water they need is sucked up by their roots – just like most plants. Because of that, you should water your trees much the same way that you water your grass. That’s by letting a sprinkler soak the ground around the trees thoroughly. You just must be careful you do not saturate the ground around your trees to the point that it becomes muddy.

The process is really simple. Especially if you only have a few trees in your yard, spending some time watering them won’t take too much of your busy schedule. Those with fruit- or flower-bearing tree farms need to follow entirely different maintenance and watering procedures. Of course, when you expect your trees to deliver produce, then you have to pay extra attention when maintaining them.

Call a Licensed Tree Contractor

Don’t take chances with your trees as far as when you need to water them. They take far too long to grow to risk losing them. Besides, we are all encouraged to care for existing trees and plant new ones for our benefit and that of the future generation. Aside from watering, there are many other tree maintenance procedures that can help your trees to grow healthy and remain strong for a long time. These procedures include tree trimming and tree pruning.

Should you water your trees? Yes, especially during extended dry periods. This is a simple thing you can do by yourself. When you need expert tree maintenance such as tree trimming, pruning, tree removal, stump removal, and more, then it’s time to call a licensed tree contractor. Aardvark Tree Service is here to help. We offer services in Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach, and surrounding areas. Call us at 386-310-8022 to get a free estimate.