Tree – Watering
Q: I was under the impression that the best way to water large, older trees was with a watering spike, stuck one or two feet into the ground. I bought one and have been trying to save all my precious oaks and maples from the drought. Now I read that this “isn’t a good idea” in a Home & Garden Fact on August 22. What’s the scoop?
A: The fact is correct; most tree roots grow within a foot of the soil surface. Putting water below them does them no good. You can use a lawn sprinkler to irrigate where there are several trees near each other or a soaker hose where there is a single tree. The soaker hose should be laid under the ends of the tree branches because that is where the absorber roots are most numerous.
The minimum you should apply is fifteen gallons of water per inch of trunk thickness per week. If you have several trees in an area, use a lawn sprinkler to irrigate until you’ve applied three-fourths of an inch of water, as measured by a few of tuna cans scattered in the area.
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name that plant
Post your puzzlers and help others with theirs.
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January calendar
January is typically the coldest winter month. Still, you can accomplish such garden tasks as sharpening...
Get The Checklist
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Popular topics
Soil Spring Summer Seed Winter Fall Flowers Weed Fertilizer Disease Shade Temperature Pine Pots Oak Mulch Pruning Watering Container Maple Compost Herbicide Birds Moisture Tomatoes Azalea Poison Pears Hydrangea Glyphosate Cherry Caterpillar Pests Roundup Irrigation Pre-Emergent Stone Pesticide Dogwood Peach Pine Straw Spider Greenhouse Magnolia Squash Beans Squirrels Poisonous Travel Lemon
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Advertisement
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Trending Posts
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1
Aftercare for poinsettia, amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus plants
-
2
Dracaena surculosa blooming
-
3
How to Prune a Coral Bark Maple
-
4
English ivy leaf spot control
-
5
Creeping Charlie vs Pennywort (Dollarweed) vs Dichondra – Identification
-
1
Aftercare for poinsettia, amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus plants
-
2
Dracaena surculosa blooming
-
3
How to Prune a Coral Bark Maple
-
4
English ivy leaf spot control
-
5
Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune
-
-
Walter’s Bookshelf
Browse and purchase gardening books by Walter Reeves, plus select titles by other authors.
View books -
-
January calendar
January is typically the coldest winter month. Still, you can accomplish such garden tasks as sharpening...
Get The Checklist
-
-
Popular topics
Soil Spring Summer Seed Winter Fall Flowers Weed Fertilizer Disease Shade Temperature Pine Pots Oak Mulch Pruning Watering Container Maple Compost Herbicide Birds Moisture Tomatoes Azalea Poison Pears Hydrangea Glyphosate Cherry Caterpillar Pests Roundup Irrigation Pre-Emergent Stone Pesticide Dogwood Peach Pine Straw Spider Greenhouse Magnolia Squash Beans Squirrels Poisonous Travel Lemon