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GREEN FARMSTEAD PARTNER
SECTION 04
CARE + MAINTENANCE WATERING Watering is perhaps the most important task in establishing a tree. The rule of thumb is 1 inch of water every 7 to10 days, including rainfall. Different soils hold moisture differently. For example, clay soils hold water for longer periods of time than sandy soil and you need to water accordingly. Most trees thrive in well-drained but not excessively drained soils. A good practice would be to scrape back some of the mulch around the tree and dig into it with a pocket knife or trowel to see how moist the soil is before watering. (You can do this on a representative sample of your trees if planting a windbreak). Over-watering has probably caused as many deaths as under-watering. Since many of the symptoms are the same, check the soil. If your soils are well-drained or excessively drained you may wish to consider using a drip irrigation system. A good tutorial for designing a drip irrigation system is found at irrigationtutorials.com/dripguide.htm.
WATER TREES TO ENSURE 1 INCH EVERY 7-10 DAYS. A FIVE-GALLON PAIL WITH SMALL HOLES CAN BE USED AS A SOAKER METHOD
