Tips for Winter Watering

Here are some tips for Winter Watering. Sprinkler systems have been winterized, temperatures are dropping, holidays are around the corner, and maybe there’s even snow on the ground. It’s winter time, are you thinking about watering your lawn, trees and plants? If not, you should be! Winter watering can be the difference between life and death to the greenery around your home, even if you don’t see the effects till much later. When spring comes around everything may look healthy but within a couple months your beautiful trees and shrubs have a much higher risk of insects, disease, and even partially or fully dying off.

How to Quench the Winter Thirst

During the winter, watering your lawn and plants is different than the rest of the year, especially if you’re used to using your sprinkler system. Here is what you need to know:

1. Only water when the temperature is 40 degrees F or above.
2. You don’t need to water if there’s snow on the ground.
3. Apply water during mid-day so it can be absorbed as much as possible before freezing at night.
4. Trees do best when slowly soaked with water to a depth of 12 inches.
• Best devices to use when watering include: sprinklers, deep- root fork or needle, soaker hose, or soft spray wand.
• Water in several areas around the tree
• Apply ten gallons of water per inch of the tree’s diameter. (example: If six inches above the ground the trees diameter is 4 inches, use 40 gallons.)
5. A newly planted shrub (under a year) needs 5 gallons of water twice a month.
6. Small shrubs over a year that are less than 3 feet tall need 5 gallons monthly.
7. Large shrubs over a year old and six feet or more need 18 gallons a month.
8. Mulch can help conserve moisture.
9. New lawns are also prone to danger without winter watering.

Apply this information to your lawn, trees and shrubs this winter to help protect them from damage later on in the year.

Other watering tips:
Watering Instructions for New Plantings