Wessling Tree Service

When to water your trees

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:

1-2 weeks after planting, water daily.
3-12 weeks after planting, water every 2 to 3 days.
After 12 weeks, water weekly until roots are established.

Quick tree watering facts:

Newly planted trees and shrubs need regular and consistent watering until root systems establish.

Root systems of trees and shrubs, whether bare root, balled and bur-lapped, or in a container, are severely reduced or restricted.

After planting, root systems will grow and establish until they are much wider than the above ground portion of the plant.

Dry Weather Tree Care:

First, some basics. The ring around the base of a tree that stretches from its trunk to its outermost branches is called the dripline; this is the line that receives most of the rainwater shed by the tree’s canopy. Keep this area free of grass and w**ds, and lay a two-inch covering of mulch to discourage w**ds and help the tree retain moisture. Keep the mulch about six inches away from the tree trunk. The trunk’s flare—where it widens as it meets the ground—should be visible.

Trees need lots of water in hot weather, particularly very young trees. During dry, hot stretches, water young trees every week, and older trees about once a month. Don’t water too often—the soil should be saturated, not soggy—but do water deeply; shallow watering encourages shallow roots.

To water, place your hose inside the dripline and let the water trickle out slowly; move the hose several times until water has permeated the area. An alternate method is to drill a hole in a five-gallon bucket and let the water drain out slowly, refilling and moving the bucket until the area is saturated. And never water in the heat of day.

Spring is just around the corner and we couldn’t be more excited! Trees budding, grass sprouting, perennials awakening from their winter sleep, we can almost smell that freshly cut grass. Along with all of those wonderful things we have been patiently (or some of us impatiently) waiting for all winter, comes some of the things we also dread the most: w**ds and undesirable grasses. Here are some ways you can prepare your lawn and garden so you can get the maximum enjoyment of all spring has to offer.

Apply Pre-Emergent to your lawn and shrubbery beds. If you despise things like crabgrass invading your turf, early spring is the time to take action. Crabgrass is an annual warm season grass that is tough to control once it has emerged, which is why it requires a special application before you actually see the problem occurring.

Applications of pre-emergent in your shrubbery beds and under your trees will keep your beds maintained before the w**ds start competing with your perennials and growing annuals.

Cut back your perennials (if you haven’t already). Now is the time to cut back the plants that have fall blooms. For the flowers that bloom in the spring, wait until they are done flowering or you won’t get to enjoy all of the beautiful hues of spring time! Cutting back your perennials helps to promote new growth and is aesthetically pleasing.

Apply a thin layer of fresh mulch. Applying mulch to your shrubbery beds provides nutrients for your plants and also helps to minimize breakthrough on any of those w**d seeds hanging out. Mulch also has good water retention to help beat the heat in those scorching summer months. Be careful not to apply too much mulch, as this could smother your plants and trees. Our arborist recommends never applying more than 2 inches of mulch and never covering the basil flare of a tree.

Edge your beds. No need to get out your spade for digging and laying down bricks.

We hope you find these tips helpful in your preparation for the long anticipated season of spring. If we can help you with any of your spring plans, give us a call, email, or submit a request on our website.