WHY DO NEW TREES NEED SO MUCH WATER
EVEN WHEN IT RAINS?
Good question! Read on!
Answer: Newly planted trees don't have enough roots to support their leaves.
When a tree grows in a forest from seed, its leaves and roots develop in response to each other. As the roots
spread outwards, accessing water and nutrients in the soil, the tree is able produce more above-ground tissue
(stems and leaves). With more leaves receiving energy from the sun and producing more carbohydrates for the
tree through photosynthesis, the tree is able to grow more roots. The roots and leaves grow in partnership with
each other to nurture the long-term health, vigor, and vitality of the tree.
Your new tree will be able to support itself eventually. However, for the first three years, it will function much
differently and depend on you for its survival.
Why? Before your tree arrived, it was growing happily in a tree nursery. In order to transport the tree to your
house, a machine called a tree spade amputated a significant amount of roots and lifted the tree out of the
ground. The tree was then wrapped in burlap and secured by a wire basket. This 300-pound package was
delivered to your house and planted by one of our trusty GreenSkills planting crews.
In order to maintain the tree's canopy, which is very important, the relatively small amount of roots left are
responsible for providing water and nutrients to the tree. With your diligent watering every week, the roots will
be able to feed the tree and most importantly grow.
Sleep, creep, leap: During the first year, most of the tree's growth will be underground in the root system. In
the second year, the roots will continue to grow and access more areas of the soil and you will begin to see signs
of growth in the canopy. And finally, in the third year, after the root network has recovered, your tree will grow
in leaps and bounds- a satisfying sight to see after your committed stewardship.
How much water? 25 gallons once a week. A deep
soaking is needed for enough water to penetrate the root
ball. A deep soaking also will allow the water to reach
deeper levels of the soil so that new roots will establish
well below the surface enabling the tree to have a higher
capacity to withstand future droughts.
Water your tree EVEN WHEN IT RAINS! Most storms do
not produce enough rain (at least one inch) to keep up
with the amount of water the tree needs.
We hope that your tree is healthy and making a successful
adjustment. Please let us know if you have any questions
or if you are concerned about your tree. Email
uri@yale.edu or call us at 203-432-6189.
URI GreenSkills crew after a job well
done!
Sincerely,
The URI Team