Don’t Forget to Water Your New Trees!

Now that the weather has heated up (near 90 for part of this week!) and the rain has vanished for a while, I just wanted to remind everyone who received a tree in front of their property that those trees need to be watered once a week, at least through September (unless, of course, we get a gentle rain that puts down about an inch of water, then you can most likely skip watering for that week). What we want the trees to do is send out new feeder roots that will help to establish the tree for the next spring and summer. Right now, the trees need just the right amount of water: enough to keep the tree healthy and thriving, but not so much as to make the tree not feel the need to grow additional roots.

The best way to water your new tree is to give it about five gallons of water at a slow drip. What we’ve done that seems to work well is to fill a large plant pot with water, the kind that has drainage holes in the bottom. This will allow the water to slowly seep into the ground, which will provide optimal watering. Or if you are willing to ruin a bucket, drill a hole  or two in the bottom for the same effect. Or  you can drag a hose out and let it trickle for about 45 minutes.

One way to help you determine if your tree needs water is to stick a pointed dowel rod in the ground; if it comes out clean you need to water, and if you can’t stick it in the ground you really need to water. So if you see a tree that looks stressed (it will look wilted), please either give it a nice long drink yourself or contact us at the Arboretum, and we will see that the tree is taken care of. You can contact Pete at 614/261-0092. If you aren’t sure whether your tree needs watering, just contact us, and we will be happy to come out and take a look. We are walking around, keeping an eye on our trees, but we might miss one, so please let us know if one needs attention.

Thanks for taking care of our new trees (or your neighbor’s)!

Until next time!