Tips for early December watering of evergreen trees
“I had to do a lot of watering this year to get my new plants established. Now that November is over, do I still need to worry about watering?” — Kendra Lin, Niles
Most gardeners do not think about watering as the weather cools down in November, but it’s an important consideration when it comes to keeping plants healthy during winter.
The newer the tree, the more important it is to provide supplemental water in late fall as needed.
Evergreens that have been planted recently should not go into winter under stress from being too dry, as this will increase the chance of winter burn and possible loss of the tree. Evergreens can lose moisture from their leaves faster than the roots can replace it from frozen ground when there is low soil moisture, freezing temperatures and blowing wind.
Any evergreens planted over the previous two years should be watered as needed throughout the fall season and especially in late fall if conditions are warm and dry. There have been some good rains recently, but you should check the root balls of your trees to see if they are moist.
Make sure the root balls of evergreen trees are thoroughly moistened when watering by applying water to the base of the plant. Densely branched evergreen trees can shed water from rain or a sprinkler away from the root ball. The new trees will grow roots out into existing garden soil over time, making it less important to apply water at the base of the trees.
I would be less concerned about deciduous trees and shrubs and perennials unless the garden soil is very sandy. Sandy soils tend to be drier, so new plantings can benefit from supplemental water late in the season when conditions are dry.
It is also a good idea to add 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the trees. This will help conserve moisture, mitigate temperature extremes, and keep the soil warmer later in the fall for root development. Keep mulch about 2 inches away from the base of the tree. The mulch also looks nice and helps keep weeds down in the coming year.
Disconnect garden hoses from outdoor spigots and faucets as night temperatures begin to drop below freezing. It has been a warm fall thus far. Reconnect hoses to water as needed during any dry spells. You may want to consider shutting off the water to spigots that are not frost-free in between times you need to water. If you leave a garden hose attached, a small amount of water can stay lodged in the pipe near the spigot and quickly freeze. This ice can damage your faucet and pipes.
Once you have finished watering for the season, or if there is a very cold night or an extended period of cold in the forecast, turn off the water supply inside your house, disconnect hoses and tighten all the faucets after opening them to drain out any remaining water.
It is important to keep water out of exterior pipe systems that will not be used in the winter, because trapped water can freeze and expand, causing cracks and breaks and even bursting pipes.