Hi, I’m Mitch Baker with American Plant Food Company. We now have our tree planted properly. We have mulch around the base of the tree but we need to follow up with some water.

Water is key to getting this tree off to a good start and keeping it green. So basically, a newly planted tree like this, even established trees need about an inch of water a week. Now, you can use a rain gauge to determine how much an inch is in your garden but you basically want to apply a good volume of water around the base of the tree so that you can see it soaking in root zone. You know it’s not running. You know it’s going right into the root zone.

This initial watering is going to help to settle the soil, help to get the air pockets out, help to dissolve the granular bio-stimulant that we used earlier. So, this is a critical watering. It got to be done at the time of planting. Look how much water is being taken up in this new planting area.

I’m using a water breaker which is a water wand. It helps create a soft flow of water at high volume. So, we’re not washing away any mulch. We’re getting an adequate amount of water right into the root zone. We can see it soaking in. We know it’s doing its job, soaker hoses, sprinklers, watering wands; all of these things will be available at any garden center, garden store or hardware store.

For newly planted tree like this, you might want to do that twice a week. Once, it’s established after the first year, once a week is sufficient. If we’re getting rainfall, one inch of rain then you can wait a week or so to water again but it all depends on soil content, air temperature, amount of sun, how young or how old the tree is, use one inch a week as a guideline.

When you water, make sure you’re getting water right to the root zone. If you want to use a sprinkler, that’s fine but make sure you’re getting water right to the tree. I like to hand water with something like a water wand. That way I can see the water soaking into the root zone. I know it’s getting water. I know it’s not running off or being wasted.

It’s best to water in the morning when temperatures are cool. That way there’s less evaporation. It also means the water is there when the plant needs it. As the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, the demand for water is greatest so applying in the morning means it’s there midday when the plant needs it. That’s important. We don’t want to waste water.