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Watering your new plants |
There are no exact rules for watering plants. Water newly planted trees at the time of planting, and then adjust all watering according to the plant's needs. Since different plants have different moisture requirements, soil and plant conditions should be used as the primary rule.
Most trees and shrubs in Oklahoma reach maximum growth when they receive the equivalent of at least one inch of water from rainfall or irrigation per week during the growing season. Newly planted trees and shrubs will probably need to be watered two or three times per week in extremely hot, dry, and windy conditions.
The root systems of these plants cannot take up the amount of water needed to replenish the amount of moisture transpired by the growing leaves. Wilted leaves are normally a reliable sign that the tree needs moisture. If the soil seems to be moist and the tree's leaves are still wilting it may be necessary to intermittently moisten the canopy. However, chronic wilting can also be a sign of an oxygen deficiency due to over watering .
Watering Guidelines
- Do not water until plants show signs of light wilting. Apply water slowly to allow it to soak into the soil.
- Wet the soil to a depth of 12 inches. This encourages a uniform root system which is better able to withstand disease.
- Do not over water, since over watering can leach nutrients from the soil or deplete oxygen availability to the roots.
- Do not plant high moisture sensitive plants next to gutter downspouts or other areas where excessively wet soils may develop.
- Give special attention to plants set close to a wall where an overhanging roof may block rainfall.
- Check the soil level near the root zone and not just at the surface before deciding whether or not to irrigate. Quick summer showers may not supply enough moisture to wet the entire area around the root ball. To determine if you need to water, pull back the mulch and dig down 4"-6" beside the root ball and check the moisture level there.
- Lastly, mulch plants whenever possible to reduce supplemental irrigation. Even if a plant is supposed to be "drought tolerant", it still needs to be mulched and irrigated at least throughout the first growing season after it has been transplanted.
You can also add a TreeGator watering bag to your tree to aid in watering during the hot and dry summer months.
Winter Irrigation
Experienced landscapers know that plants benefit from Winter irrigation when temperatures rise above freezing. This could be a significant period during an average Oklahoma Winter. This is particularly true for all broad-leaf evergreens and many deciduous species. When plants are properly mulched the need for Winter irrigation is greatly reduced.
