You absolutely must water your tree properly if you want any newly planted / transplanted tree to thrive. I highly recommend an automatic sprinkler system and/or tree bubbler. A tree’s planting site is going to determine the final watering regimen exactly, but here are some guidelines to help you get started.
A good place to start is 1.5 gallons of water/ diameter inch of tree trunk / day. And, water three times per week. During a new tree’s first summer, double this and water every other day.
Example:
4″ tree trunk (X 1.5 gallons) = 6 gallons H2O/day
6 gallons / day X 7 days a week = 42 gallons / week
42 gallons-per-week / 3 waterings per week =
14 gallons per watering, three times per week During the summer, water 24 gallons every-other day.
This regimen should be maintained for at least one year. You’ll need to tweak the exact amounts and frequency based on your site. Sharp, rocky slopes need more frequent watering; and flat, clay sites need less frequent waterings with more volume. Begin tapering down the water regimen after the first year based on the tree’s health. If the tree is thriving, cut back water substantially, or rely on lawn irrigation only (*assuming you are doing it right!). If the tree is struggling to establish, maintain the strong watering schedule. A tree shouldn’t take more than a year to develop substantial roots outside the original root ball. To test this, gently nudge the trunk of the tree and watch to see if the entire root-ball moves. If the tree still hasn’t established a sound root system outside of the original root-ball after two years there is very little likelihood the tree will ever establish properly.
If your tree is on our tree care program, we will help you adjust your system to your specific needs.