When And How To Water Your Mature Trees In Autumn

Those sprawling shade trees in your backyard are your pride and joy. You waited a long time for them to grow, framing your yard perfectly. Or maybe it's that fully grown, perfectly shaped dogwood tree (Cornus florida) in your front yard that gets all the accolades from your neighbors, friends, and even the delivery truck drivers. Now all you want to do is make sure your trees continue to look healthy and beautiful for many years to come.

You may have done a wonderful job fertilizing your trees when they need it, having discovered the essential tips to help them grow, but as they begin to lose their leaves, you may question whether you've done enough or whether your trees could use a good soaking before winter sets in, and if so, when and how to water your mature trees in autumn. As is often the case with gardening, the answer is, it depends. It depends on the amount of rain you may have gotten through the summer months, but like any living thing, water is essential, even as the plant is about to enter a dormant period.

As the weather gets cooler and the smell of pumpkin spice gets stronger, living beings seem to want to start conserving their energy. Humans dig out the warm clothes and cozy blankets; your trees start conserving water, which will help them survive the winter. Thirsty trees may experience leaf scorch and be at greater risk of damage from insects. Even if the rain in your area has been heavy at times, it might not be enough. 

A dry summer can result despite those occasional big downpours. Luckily for your mature trees, they have sent their roots deep into the ground, so they should be able to withstand the inconsistencies of weather roller coasters. Newer trees, on the other hand, would need more watering. Leaf stress can occur for reasons other than dehydration, but the state of the leaves is usually a good first indicator that something is going on with your tree, old or new. Also, if you live where it's typically fairly arid, watering trees monthly all year long is a good idea so that the mistake preventing your tree from getting enough water isn't you.

The mature trees in your yard may not need to be watered as often as a tree that is newly planted or under two years old, but you should still keep an eye on your trees and maintain a regular watering schedule based on what you are able to observe. During the summer, especially if it's hot and dry, you would want to water every week or two, but you might need to test your soil to see how quickly it drains so that you don't overwater. You should give your trees a steady, long drink of water by setting up a circle of soaker hose for a few hours, allowing water to slowly and deeply drip into the soil.

If you need to save time (especially if you have a lot of trees to water), you may want to try the genius bucket hack that will cut your tree watering time in half, which uses 5-gallon buckets with a couple of holes drilled into the side near the bottom. While watering in autumn, you may want to place scrap wood or something over the top to prevent falling and blowing leaves from getting in while the bucket drains. The Deep Root Blog provides a guide for the amount of water for established trees, setting it at 10 gallons of water for every inch of the trunk's diameter.