“Should I be watering my established trees?” The answer is, yes!
Drought has been affecting much of Minnesota since 2021, and despite the rains and flooding that pulled us out of drought this spring, we find our land of 10,000 lakes thirsty once more! That means that our trees and shrubs are again feeling the stress of too little water as they prepare to go dormant.
You can take a deeper dive into drought conditions across the state by visiting the Minnesota DNR website for up-to-date drought information in your area.
Ensuring that your established shade trees and evergreens are well watered in fall is always important, but in years of drought it can be especially helpful. Here are some tips to help you reduce drought stress on your established trees and evergreens as they prepare for winter.
Water deeply and slowly to allow the water to soak into the soil around the base of the tree, rather than running off. A good rule of thumb is to water 10-15 gallons of water for each inch of the trunk’s diameter. Larger trees may benefit from a tree watering bag, or drip irrigation. A soaker hose laid around the base of the tree, 2-3 feet from the trunk is another great way to water deeply and slowly.
“How often should I be watering?” In the case of drought, expect to water every 2-4 weeks. Adjust your schedule for rain and freezing temperatures as the days get shorter. An inch of rain would be considered a thorough watering, so a passing shower or two may not provide the thirst quenching drink your trees need. If you’re unsure if your trees have used up their water, it’s easy to check! You can use a soil moisture meter, if that’s something you have on hand, but the humble shovel or trowel is really all you need to get a good glimpse beneath the surface. Simply dig down a few inches to check the moisture level. If the soil is dry at that depth, then it’s time to water.
“When should I stop watering?” As temperatures drop and trees go dormant, they will naturally require less water. A deciduous trees’ water needs lessen dramatically once their leaves have fallen. Evergreens are a little harder to read because they don’t announce their dormancy the same way. You can assume that if the ground hasn’t frozen, and our days get up above freezing that evergreens are still active on some level. Once the ground freezes you’ve done what you can!
