# Advice on watering freshly planted evergreens



## joefrompa (Jun 10, 2011)

Hi all,

About a week ago I planted 7 skip laurels and 5 spruces. All are in well-drained areas. I was advised by the landscaping company to water them frequently this entire season - the example being a 4-hour drip for the spruces once every 2-3 days. Now, I don't have 4 hour windows where I can lay a drip hose under a spruce and move it around to the other 5 in a 3 day cycle - I don't have that time.

My question is this: Can I simply give them a nice long drink i.e. full hose volume (60gph) for about 5 minutes each spruce (about 5 gallons of water worth) once every 1-2 days during the evening, and about 2-3 minutes per laurel of the same?

I ask this because we're getting 90-100 degree weather and very little/very sporadic rain, and I do not want these things dying. I want them vibrant.

Everything looks good so far except one spruce's tip (last 6" of the top) turned solid brown over  aperiod of about 1-2 days.

As background: the spruces are 5-6' tall (2 are 7-8') and the laurels are all about 3.5-4' tall. So these are pretty sizable plants.

Thanks,

Joe

P.s. All spruces were planted with peat moss and compost then mulch around top. Laurels were planted with compost and miracle-gro soil mix.


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## billb3 (Jun 10, 2011)

I usually  make a little dam ring and flood it every couple days. especially with shallow rooted  trees and shrubs like spruce / pine / arborvitae.

Deeper rooted trees like fruit trees  I 'll flood several times in one day so the water sinks in deeper , but maybe  less often.

I'll come back and remove the dirt ring 6 months later.
It'll be full of weeds because the mulch washed off of it  , but I only want to be watering the tree.
Probably a lot more important with a grade, but I don't have too many nice flat spots anywhere.


I ignore rainy weather as counting towards watering unless we get  over an inch of rain.


Most people don't water enough. Or go on vacation, or forget.


I've lost Fall transplants because I  let the soil dry out too much in the Winter.


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## oldspark (Jun 10, 2011)

Some people take a 5 gallon pail and drill holes in it and fill up the pail and it drains out slowly, trial and error will tell you how many holes to drill.


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## Adios Pantalones (Jun 10, 2011)

I think that's a fine way to go.  I planted over 30 small trees the first year I lived on my property and never lost a single one.  I never used a drip system- just a bucket or a hose for the few where it would reach.  

Here's what leads to success- sorry that some doesn't apply to you as it's already planted

Dig a hole bigger than needed for the roots and spread them out well.

Keep the soil level at where the old soil level is evident on the bark and NO HIGHER or you can get rot in the bark.

Watch out for "glazing" around the edge of the hole- especially in clay soil.

Don't amend the dirt that you add back to the hole or the roots may end up sort of "pot bound" in the original hole area.  Add amendments, compost, etc to the surface and let the good stuff leach down or get mixed in by worms.

Water in the dirt.  If it's a big hole- add some dirt, ad some water, add more dirt.  You don't want ANY air pockets down there for mold/fungus.

Really stomp in the planted area after you add back the dirt, and water heavily when planted.  You want to have great contact between roots and soil.

Don't pile the mulch in a damn volcano around the tree contacting the bark or it will kill the tree over the course of a few years.


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## lukem (Jun 10, 2011)

I have planted many many many trees over the years working for a commercial landscaper.  The advice you were given was correct.  Most homeowners have the same look of disbelief when you tell them that.

The point of a slow drip/long duration is to get the soil saturated in the right spot.  Standing by the tree and hitting it with the hose full blast will get the top of the dirt wet, but most of it runs off away from the roots.  If your soil can actually absorb the water you may need less time and can water at a higher volume.  If it is very compacted soil you may not be able to do that.

Also, 4 hours is good for the initial after planting watering, but could be excessive afterward.  Again, this depends on how well your soil absorbs and holds the moisture, weather, rainfall, etc.

Keep the soil saturated, but don't make it soup either.  You were given the rule of thumb, and rightfully so, but like anything else in life, it all depends on the situation.

If you don't have the hose/time to do a drip, like others above have mentioned, buckets are a great solution.  Hit them with about 5-10 gallons a couple times a week.


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## smokinj (Jun 10, 2011)

Rule of thumb is one inch of water per week. Fresh planted 1-1/2. If you have a rain gauge check it once a week and add as needed.


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## joefrompa (Jun 10, 2011)

Where should the bucket be? On the laurels it'll be easy as I can bucket it uphill and let gravity work it down through the root ball.

On the spruces they have 3-4' of branches right off the ground. I can't get a bucket in there easily unless I'm really pushing the branches around.

Since I've been giving them a good soak (i.e. 5 gallons into the planetd area), should I let them dry out for 2-3 days before I start doing these methods?

Thanks all,

Joe

P.s. Adios Pantalones - On the laurels I planted, I didn't "spread the roots out" I merely massaged the roots as they came out of the potter so that the soil around the roots was nice and loose. But the roots were still in the shape they came out of the pot. Also, I filled with original soil 50% + 50% miracle gro evergreen soil as directed.

What do you mean by soil glazing? Also, I don't do mulch volcanos - no worry about bark rot.


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## joefrompa (Jun 10, 2011)

smokinjay said:
			
		

> Rule of thumb is one inch of water per week. Fresh planted 1-1/2. If you have a rain gauge check it once a week and add as needed.



Really? Cause it seems like me doing 10 gallons over 3-4 days (i.e. 5 gallons one day, 5 gallons 2-3 days later) would be far more than 1" of water over a 4 foot circle for the spruces.

....actually, looks like a 4 foot wide cylinder with a 1" height = 7.8 gallons. So 1.5" the first week would be about 11.7 gallons, or about what I'm giving them.

Nice!



Joe


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## daveswoodhauler (Jun 11, 2011)

Similar to a 5 gallon bucket, you can take a 2 liter soda bottle or a milk jug and drill the same holes. (I've seen some put them in the ground upsidedown with just a small hole in the bottle cap)
Wont last as long, but at least you don't have to ruin 10 buckets.


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## smokinj (Jun 11, 2011)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> smokinjay said:
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You don't need to drowned them, but unless your pouring right into the hole the penetration is not going to be that deep anyway. Unless you have a nice lip where it can pool up (if so no more than one heavey shot a week) . Over watering can cause problems as well.


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## kettensÃ¤ge (Jun 13, 2011)

We bought and planted a Sitka spruce, (8' tall) in Dec. '09. By April it was looking dry and weak. A neighbor who is active in forestry came by and said it needs water, a bucket a day, no matter what. I banked the soil around it to prevent runoff and gave it a bucket a day. Picked up nicely in about 2 weeks. This year I am giving it a bucket (5 gals.)  every other day as long as the new growth is bright green. 

Mid summer I collect AC condensate from the heat pump and use it on the tree, about 5 gal. a day depending on the weather.


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## gpcollen1 (Jun 14, 2011)

Water it every day for two weeks and then only when it is too dry out there...


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## joefrompa (Jun 15, 2011)

Ok, haven't watered them in a few days now so tonight I'll give them each a nice long soak with the hose. I'm aiming the water right at the base of the trunk and under their "drip circle" or whatever it's called. They are all looking fine and we've gotten some rain in the past few days so they haven't been drying out.


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## CJ-SR4ever (Jun 15, 2011)

Last year my co-worker and I spend hours planting some in the yard at work.  We planted about 8 of them and came out looking really good.  They were neglected to be watered and now sit dead.  Glad all of our hard work went into something good.....NOT!


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