Deep Watering For Trees And Shrubs In The Fall

Deep watering trees and plants one last time before the winter hits is crucial to the health of your plant. But do you know how to correctly deep water your plants? Most people don’t, but this guide will help you water your plants so they stay healthy for seasons to come. Here’s how to deep water trees, shrubs, and plants in your yard for fall. Even better, deep watering all year long will help your trees and plants develop deep root systems, keeping your plants healthier for longer period of time.

Believe it or not, when watering trees you should ALWAYS make sure that you deep water. Deep watering will provide the tree with everything it needs to thrive, and with this method, there’s less of a chance that your tree develops root rot. I recommend using a soaker hose anytime you deep water. Place the hose in the soil around your trees, and let water slowly drip into the ground over the course of 30 minutes to an hour. When deep watering, you want to soak the soil down to ten inches. Deep watering will also help your plants deal with salt build-up from snow over the winter. Generally, it is a good rule of thumb to deep water your trees one last time just before the first freeze in fall.

Just like you did with the trees, use a soaker hose to supply a constant, steady stream of water to your plants over a period of time (about 30 minutes or so).  However, you won’t need to soak them as deeply as you did the trees. You can soak your plants to a depth of 5 inches or so. It’s important to note that if you deep water your plants, you won’t need to water them as frequently. Once weekly is usually the correct amount, but keep an eye on your plant for signs of over or underwatering while you figure your schedule out. Again, it’s important to deep water all year long, and not just in the Fall. You’ll notice a huge difference in your plants if you do!

Looking for a good system to help soak your plants and trees? I recommend purchasing a simple soaker hose from your local hardware store. This soaker water system from Gardeners.com is one of my favorites. I’ve used it for years, and it’s been sturdy and I’ve never had any problems with it.