Proper Watering in Fall
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As of September 22, 2009 at 5:18 pm, we were officially into the “fall” season. The trees (if they haven’t already) will begin to display a colorful splash of oranges, reds, and yellows. It is important to ease your trees into dormancy, while you continue to water! Below are a few common questions we get around this time of the year.
Why do I need to water in the fall?
Although the trees are beginning to go dormant, it is important to give them a nice and long last drink of water before the ground freezes. When the ground is frozen and snow is piled inches high, the trees cannot draw water from the ground. This puts the trees in danger for “winter burn” later down the road. According to David Beaulieu, writer for landscaping.about.com, ”Properly watering the plants in fall, then, can be an effective means of minimizing injury to trees and shrubs during the winter”. David also suggests occasionally watering in late autumn/winter.
You keep saying “water your trees until they are dormant”, well how do I know when my tree goes dormant?
Once the leaves begin shedding, the tree is entering dormancy. Trees should be properly watered once a week, until the ground is frozen.
Now what? The tree is dormant, do I need to water any longer in the winter?… how do I know when to start watering again?
When and if temperatures rise above freezing, it would be a good idea to get outside and give your trees a good soak. Other than that, you can expect to begin watering again in the early spring when temperatures are consistently warming up. The trees will begin to ”awake” from dormancy when you notice the buds beginning to unfirl. (the same way you see a Rose unfirl)
Winter Burn
Winter Burn on White Pine
The above picture, taken from an article by Purdue University, is a white pine suffering from winter burn. Purdue Horticulture states, ”Over the course of a day, a large tree can lose hundreds of gallons of water. When plants are unable to obtain the water they need (due to drought or frozen soil), the water lost through transpiration cannot be replenished, resulting in dehydration, foliar damage, and even death.” So remember to water throughout the fall and even into the winter for a healthy tree!
Source: http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/PPDL/weeklypics/6-2-08.html
