When do I start to water my tree again after winter?
Answer
When a tree is planted, it will require watering weekly unless substantial rain has fallen in the past week. Substantial means about an inch or more has fallen. When winter arrives in the temperate zone, unless the site has good drainage, additional watering is usually not required. Often the ground will be frozen and movement of water and nutrients will slow down or stop altogether. In late winter/early spring movement will resume as the temperature rises. Again if there is rain or melting snow, supplemental watering is not required. If there is a dry spell, supplemental watering should be resumed. By summer of the second year additional watering is not required unless there is a substantial dry spell, lasting a few weeks. Alligator bags can be used to supply a continuous supply of water.
the amount of water to use depends upon the size of the tree. Small caliber, an inch or so 10 inches off the ground will need five gallons. A larger caliber 2 or 3 inches can take as much as 15 gallons. Stop watering if the water isn't absorbed into the soil in a few hours. A