All about watering trees

Watering is one of the most important components of tree care. With a lack of moisture, the development of plants will slow down, and with an excess, you can expect any kind of trouble - from pest attacks to decay of roots.

It is better to water the trees in the garden in the morning, before 10 o'clock, or in the evening, after 6 pm. The earliest hours at sunrise and a couple of hours before sunset are optimal. This is mainly due to the fact that during the day in the sun, most of the moisture used for irrigation evaporates without reaching the roots. Besides, splashes accidentally hitting the leaf blades act as a lens for sunlight and cause burns.

Irrigation of young seedlings in the first year after planting is carried out in accordance with some rules. The first time it is recommended to water them immediately after placing them on the beds. This procedure compacts the soil around the root system. Further, it is necessary to add 3-5 buckets of water approximately once a week under each bush. In the 2nd and 3rd year, young seedlings also require regular irrigation. If the weather is dry, then during these months it is better to maintain the regime of the first year - that is, to add moisture every 7 days. A three-year tree already has formed roots, and therefore much less care can be taken for it. It is important to water in the spring before bud break.

In the summer, the seedlings are irrigated in the same way as in the spring - that is, once a week. An exception is the rainy season, during which watering should be carried out only when the soil dries out. Thus, if it rains outside, then the weekly procedure is not forbidden to skip. Young trees are watered only on the hottest days and during the period when the fruits begin to ripen.

Autumn watering plays an extremely important role. Since the ground freezes at low temperatures, and the winter months are usually famous for dry air, abundant pre-irrigation will prevent tree tops from burning out and excessive soil freezing. Regardless of how the summer went, in the fall the soil should be moistened to a depth of 1.5 to 2 meters. The exception is trees that live in clay and lowland areas. It is convenient to check the condition of the surface using a long metal rod: if it sinks freely into the ground, then it is well moistened. The remaining dry soil will create an obstacle for the stick.

There is another way to check the soil moisture level. Having formed a hole 40 centimeters deep, it is necessary to remove a little earth from it and mold a lump. Putting the ball on a piece of paper, you should assess its condition. If, when opening the palm, the figure does not change its shape, and a wet trace appears on the paper, then the earth is sufficiently moistened before wintering. If the lump has retained its shape, but the leaf remains dry, then watering will have to be increased by 30%. Finally, if the ball has disintegrated, then the soil in the beds is dried up.

For the necessary autumn moisture, from 3 to 5 buckets are used for each young tree. However, annual seedlings do not require all this - their last watering of the season is done, in general, in August.In order not to provoke plant growth in an unsuitable season, moisture should be introduced when the temperature drops to + 2 ... 3 degrees.

It is worth mentioning that many gardeners prefer to irrigate plantings with cold water from a well, the temperature of which does not go beyond + 5 ... 8 degrees. Despite the fact that its composition is free of chlorine and harmful impurities, and with its help you can even get rid of some pests, such a procedure cannot be carried out for young seedlings. Because of the icy water, the peripheral roots of plants that are in the stage of formation can die off, the tissues are stressed, and the root system itself ceases to absorb moisture.

Mature trees do not need to be watered as often as seedlings. As a rule, this corresponds to 3-4 waterings for the entire season, but with changes in weather conditions, this number may change. By the way, in most cases, it is worth stopping watering fruit trees somewhere 20-30 days before harvest, as this can contribute to cracking and falling of the fruit. In any case, it is important to observe the measure, since a lack of moisture can affect the condition of the crop, and an excess will lead to the displacement of oxygen from the soil and rotting of the roots. Abundant watering of the tree may be required when the size of the ovaries approaches the size of a walnut. During this period, from 10 to 20 buckets of water are brought under each trunk, while in normal times the water consumption can be from 2 to 5 buckets. In general, the irrigation rate is determined depending on the type of tree, its age, size and habitat.

Irrigation of fruit trees has its own specifics. For example, even an apple tree needs to be properly watered: 2 weeks after full flowering, as well as when an increased growth of new fruits occurs. Watering should be repeated as soon as the buds on the shoots of this year are isolated, as well as after harvesting the fruits of summer varieties. Winter varieties are irrigated when apples are poured. Before wintering, trees must be irrigated, waiting for the apple tree to shed all the leaves. Gardeners advise against watering at the time of flowering and immediately after its completion, since excess moisture can lead to mold, as well as negatively affect the formation of fruits.

On average, a capricious pear has to be watered once a month, completing the procedure with active loosening of the soil. Drip irrigation is the most suitable for this crop. For mature apricot trees, 4 waterings are sufficient. The first is carried out in April - during the period when shoots are actively developing. The second occurs in May: either during flowering or immediately after.

During fruiting, it is recommended to water the apricots once - 10-15 days before the fruits ripen. Watering during this time will give the tree moisture, which will be directed to the growth and development of fruits. The last irrigation is also done before the start of the winter season, usually in October. Early peach varieties are irrigated 2-3 times per season, and later ones - 5 to 6 times. The first procedure is usually carried out in early summer, the second in the first half of July, and the third in the first half of August. It is imperative to water 3-4 weeks before harvest, and the next one only after harvest. The maximum moisture application is carried out in October.

Conifers require abundant irrigation in the fall to survive the winter season. In the spring, even before the root system awakens, it is worth watering the tops to prevent them from drying out. Irrigation of the soil, however, also starts in the spring months, as soon as the probability of frost return disappears. If the water spreads over the surface without absorbing, then it is worth watering several times a day in small volumes.

An adult thuja in the summer is irrigated once every 2 weeks, while 10 to 15 liters of water are used for each instance. During especially hot months, you can water the tree more often - every week. In autumn and spring, the tree usually has enough natural rainfall. A similar care is carried out for the spruce: at the beginning and at the end of the season, rain is enough for it. Nevertheless, in the summer, the spruce has to be irrigated much more often - almost every 2 days, using from 10 to 12 liters per specimen. At too high temperatures, it will be useful to carry out the procedure every day, morning and evening. It is enough to water the pine 2-3 times for the whole season.

For watering carried out in spring, the root method is preferable, allowing the root system to be saturated with nutrients before the active season. For this purpose, heated water should be used, which was allowed to settle. Ideally, the liquid should be taken from natural reservoirs - in this case, it makes no sense to settle for it. Fertilizers are usually applied before irrigation.

In summer, it is better to combine internal and external irrigation. This, of course, should be done with minimal sun activity. In the fall, as already mentioned, trees require water-charging irrigation, which allows them to saturate the soil for the entire winter period. Autumn watering should be in early to mid-October, the time when the tree has already dropped its foliage.

The basic method of watering trees is the root method, that is, watering in the near-trunk circle. To do this, a recess is created around the trunk, resembling a bowl. Usually, its depth ranges from 40 to 60 centimeters, and the radius corresponds to the width of the crown. This method is convenient in that it can be used both on slopes and on plains. As the tree grows, the diameter of the bowl should increase. It makes no sense to pour water directly under the trunk, since in this case the moisture will not reach the lateral processes of the system.

Sprinkling is a method of watering trees using special irrigation devices that spray moisture. This method allows both plant roots and leaves to be irrigated. The universal installation can be used in any conditions, most often it functions independently of the person. However, the process in this case lasts from 2 to 2.5 hours, and the system itself turns out to be quite difficult to mount. Finally, drip irrigation allows moisture to be delivered through an underground structure directly to the root system.

If the tree has already "passed" the mark of 15 years, then it makes sense to water it with fertilization. This is done as follows: several holes are formed in the ground, the depth of which is 25-30 centimeters, after which mineral fertilizers are poured into them. Having buried the holes back, it is necessary to connect the sprinkler system.

Another good tip is to mulch the soil, which will maximize the moisture content in the ground, and therefore reduce the need for watering. For this purpose, dry grass, sawdust, husk of sunflower seeds, foliage or humus are suitable. The material will need to be poured into the near-barrel bowl, or simply placed around the barrel with an indent of a couple of centimeters, forming a layer equal to 2-5 centimeters. Mulching is carried out immediately after irrigation.

For information on how to water fruit trees, see the next video.