I have a question. I was given two Autumn Maples about 15 ft each in height and I planted them this weekend. They were in a burlap root ball. How often should I be watering them and how much? I live in TN, thanks very much for your help!
New Autumn Maple Trees
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Kneejerk Bombas
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The root ball has lots of roots that will dry out the soil inside the ball much faster than the surrounding soil.
Check the soil in the ball itself to determine if it needs water.
Water until it is soaked and then let it just dry out before watering again(maybe a couple days). Overwatering can cause root rot problems.
Since the tree is newly planted, look at the trunk where it meets the ground, can you see a flair, or does it go straight down into the ground?
Check the soil in the ball itself to determine if it needs water.
Water until it is soaked and then let it just dry out before watering again(maybe a couple days). Overwatering can cause root rot problems.
Since the tree is newly planted, look at the trunk where it meets the ground, can you see a flair, or does it go straight down into the ground?
tshanefreeman
ArboristSite Operative
I'm not trying to out perform Mike here, for his rational is perhaps the easiest and best rule to follow when applying TLC (tender loving care) to a newly planted tree.
But here is a copied section from a printout that I typed up to give to my customers when they ask the same question:
· Follow-up care through irrigation.
Container-grown, balled & burlapped, or tree spade transplanted plants, both deciduous (which lose their leaves once a year) or evergreen (which retain their leaves for more than a year), may require rather frequent watering, depending on soil texture, the weather, and the relative sizes of leaf areas and root balls. Depending on plant size and the weather, moisture in the root ball is used fairly quickly by a plant, so aeration is not a problem. When trees are transplanted, much of the available water previously retained in the root ball moves into the soil below; if the root ball soil is coarser than the surrounding soil, its moisture content can be reduced below field capacity (which is the percentage of water remaining in a soil 2 or 3 days after having been saturated and after free drainage has practically ceased) by several forces. The soil of a small root ball can be brought close to the wilting point, even when the plant is using little or no water and the surrounding soil is near field capacity.
However, daily irrigations may cause the surrounding soil to remain extremely wet. For the first few weeks, water need only be adequate to rewet the root ball and a little of the surrounding soil. In the case of shelterbelt plantings, a small berm can be established just outside the root ball and high enough to hold water that will rewet the roots. However, the berm should not allow water to stand for a long duration of time, for soil aeration will be greatly reduced, causing the trees to decline.
Keep the soil moist but not soaked; overwatering will cause leaves to turn yellow (chlorotic) or fall off. Water your trees at least once a week, barring rain, and more frequently during hot weather. When soil is dry below the surface of the mulch or ground cover, it is time to water. Continue until mid-fall, tapering off for lower temperatures that require less frequent watering.
Note: It is very important to apply an ample amount of water during your weekly watering periods. A deep soaking will promote deep root growth that will allow the tree to cope more effectively during times of stress. Light waterings tend to have little effect on a trees performance, for this water usually evaporates or is used by competing plants before the plant can make use of it.
Hopefully you will be able to make use of this.............I know that my customers do!
PS: If anyone out there disagrees with my info...........I suppose that I will hear about it. After all, I have opened myself up for discussion!
But here is a copied section from a printout that I typed up to give to my customers when they ask the same question:
· Follow-up care through irrigation.
Container-grown, balled & burlapped, or tree spade transplanted plants, both deciduous (which lose their leaves once a year) or evergreen (which retain their leaves for more than a year), may require rather frequent watering, depending on soil texture, the weather, and the relative sizes of leaf areas and root balls. Depending on plant size and the weather, moisture in the root ball is used fairly quickly by a plant, so aeration is not a problem. When trees are transplanted, much of the available water previously retained in the root ball moves into the soil below; if the root ball soil is coarser than the surrounding soil, its moisture content can be reduced below field capacity (which is the percentage of water remaining in a soil 2 or 3 days after having been saturated and after free drainage has practically ceased) by several forces. The soil of a small root ball can be brought close to the wilting point, even when the plant is using little or no water and the surrounding soil is near field capacity.
However, daily irrigations may cause the surrounding soil to remain extremely wet. For the first few weeks, water need only be adequate to rewet the root ball and a little of the surrounding soil. In the case of shelterbelt plantings, a small berm can be established just outside the root ball and high enough to hold water that will rewet the roots. However, the berm should not allow water to stand for a long duration of time, for soil aeration will be greatly reduced, causing the trees to decline.
Keep the soil moist but not soaked; overwatering will cause leaves to turn yellow (chlorotic) or fall off. Water your trees at least once a week, barring rain, and more frequently during hot weather. When soil is dry below the surface of the mulch or ground cover, it is time to water. Continue until mid-fall, tapering off for lower temperatures that require less frequent watering.
Note: It is very important to apply an ample amount of water during your weekly watering periods. A deep soaking will promote deep root growth that will allow the tree to cope more effectively during times of stress. Light waterings tend to have little effect on a trees performance, for this water usually evaporates or is used by competing plants before the plant can make use of it.
Hopefully you will be able to make use of this.............I know that my customers do!
PS: If anyone out there disagrees with my info...........I suppose that I will hear about it. After all, I have opened myself up for discussion!
tshanefreeman
ArboristSite Operative
Jay Banks......
Thanks for the support. It is people like you and the many others that allow not only the public learn but also people like me. I can honestly say that I have learned many things here that I could never find in a text book..............keeping in mind that I am a very educationally based individual and thus encourage people to continue their studies!
As for the text section that I included in this post...........I made it myself and I can then print it out on my business' letterhead and help those who are willing to learn. However, I should probably give Harris some credit for his text Arboriculture is like my bible........therefore, parts of my writeup are probably words that he may have used!
Thanks for the support. It is people like you and the many others that allow not only the public learn but also people like me. I can honestly say that I have learned many things here that I could never find in a text book..............keeping in mind that I am a very educationally based individual and thus encourage people to continue their studies!
As for the text section that I included in this post...........I made it myself and I can then print it out on my business' letterhead and help those who are willing to learn. However, I should probably give Harris some credit for his text Arboriculture is like my bible........therefore, parts of my writeup are probably words that he may have used!
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