Best watering practices for your citrus tree

Summary

In this informative video, Susan Billings from Tucson Comm Gardening sits down with Tony Sara from Magic Garden Nursery to discuss essential watering tips for trees. They cover the importance of adjusting watering frequency based on the tree's age, from frequent watering during the first year to once-a-week watering by the fourth or fifth year. Tony explains how to adjust drip irrigation as the tree grows, ensuring water reaches the expanding root system. They also offer advice for container-grown citrus trees and highlight the best times for watering to promote healthy tree growth while avoiding evaporation loss.

Takeaways

• 😀 Watering frequency depends on the age of the tree, with younger trees requiring more frequent watering.
• 🌱 In the first year, trees need high water levels, requiring watering three to four times a week.
• 💧 The recommended watering method involves a large, three-to-four-foot water basin for slow and deep soaking lasting two to three hours.
• 🌳 As the tree matures, the watering basin size should increase and watering frequency decreases to every three to four days by the second year.
• ⏰ By the fourth or fifth year, mature trees typically need watering only once a week for about half a day.
• 🌿 For a non-drip irrigation system, use 15-gallon size tree emitters running at 3-2 gallons per hour for three hours.
• 🌍 As the tree grows, the roots extend three to four feet out, requiring additional drip emitters spaced every three feet around the tree.
• 🌞 Watering should be done in the morning or evening, with evening watering being preferable to reduce water evaporation.
• 🍊 For container-grown citrus trees, daily watering is essential, especially during the summer.
• 🍋 In June, excess fruit that the tree cannot hold will turn yellow and fall off, a natural and common occurrence.
• 📏 Trees' roots grow outward over time, so it's crucial to adjust the watering pattern to ensure water reaches the expanding root system.

Q & A

How often should you water a tree during its first year?

During the first year, trees need frequent watering, typically 3-4 times a week, especially in the summer months to help establish strong roots.

Why is it important to create a large water basin around young trees?

A large water basin (3-4 feet in diameter) ensures that water soaks deeply into the soil, helping the tree's roots establish themselves properly.

What is the recommended duration for watering a tree in its first year?

Watering should be done slowly over 2-3 hours to allow the water to fully saturate the soil and reach the tree's roots.

How often should trees be watered by the second year?

By the second summer, you can water the tree every 3-4 days, but continue to ensure deep watering by expanding the water basin.

When can you reduce watering frequency to once a week?

By the fourth or fifth year, once the tree is well-established, you can reduce watering to once a week but still focus on deep soaking each time.

How should you adjust your drip irrigation system as a tree grows?

As the tree grows, you should increase the number of drip emitters and space them out to cover a larger area around the tree’s root zone.

Why is it important to water the outer edge of the tree's root zone?

Watering the outer edge of the root zone is important because this is where the roots are growing and absorbing nutrients, not just near the trunk.

What is the best watering schedule for citrus trees in containers?

Citrus trees in containers require daily watering during the summer months to keep the soil consistently moist and support healthy growth.

Why is morning watering recommended for trees?

Morning watering is ideal because it allows the soil to absorb moisture before the heat of the day, preventing evaporation and ensuring deeper absorption.

What should you do if excess fruit falls off a tree in June?

If fruit falls off in June, it’s completely normal. This happens when the tree cannot support all the fruit it has set, and it often results in fruit turning yellow and dropping, usually at a pea size.