Denver Winter Tree Watering

The last thing most of our clients want to do on a Sunday afternoon in winter is unpacking their garden hose to water their trees. We don’t blame you – but if you don’t see that your landscape trees get *sufficient* water, don’t be surprised when they’re suffering next summer. Here’s what the CSU website has to say – it’s informative if a bit “dry.”

“Established large trees have a root spread equal to or greater than the height of the tree. Apply water to the most critical part of the root zone within the dripline. Dry air, low precipitation, little soil moisture, and fluctuating temperatures are characteristics of fall and winter in many areas of Colorado. There often can be little or no snow cover to provide soil moisture, particularly from October through March. Trees, shrubs, perennials, and lawns can be damaged if they do not receive supplemental water.”

diagram of tree RootSpread and dripline
typical tree dripline and root spread zone


 

Promoting Root Growth

Winter watering is a process where we add 10 gallons of water per caliper inch on average, to the tree during the dry winter months. And typically, no matter how much snow we get, we *do* remain relatively dry here in the high plains desert.
The arborists here are also big believers in mycorrhizae treatments which is an addon service because it helps the tree with water and nutrients as well as promotes root growth.
Highlights of mycorrhizal treatment :

  • Mycorrhizae exploit the natural symbiotic relationship between certain fungi and tree roots.
  • According to USDA scientists, plants could thrive with much less chemical fertilizer and water.
  • Tree planting success can improve substantially.

more details about our Root Stimulator applications with mycorrhizal treatment are here.

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