Qq- do you water a new tree even on dates when it rains?
by CombinationDense7593
Qq- do you water a new tree even on dates when it rains?
by CombinationDense7593
40 Comments
Gentle rains produce very little water unless they last all day long. Heavy storms often have rain that comes down faster than soil can absorb it leading to run off. You can use a straight sided can or bucket to get an idea of how much rain fell *in your yard.* The recommendation is 10 gallons weekly for every inch of trunk diameter at chest height for one solid year. I’ve found a special short hose that makes a ring around a new tree. It was at a box store, I think. Remove the stake; it was meant to get the tree to you safely. It is not the proper way to stake a tree and many trees do not need staking. When trees sway in breezes, it stimulates stronger trunk tissue to form. A ridge one stake or a too tight 2-3 point staking doesn’t allow this. I use bungee cords . Make sure you have at least 3″ between mulch and trunk. I protect all young trees; bunnies can strip the bark if they are hungry – a big problem in winter. Here’s the reddit wiki on new trees from a tree sub: [https://old.reddit.com/r/tree/wiki/index](https://old.reddit.com/r/tree/wiki/index)
Interesting placement – my neighbor has 1 of those and it got bigger than the space you have that 1 in. Maybe yours is a smaller version.
Not that you asked but… You are probably going to regret that being too close to the fence in a few years.
I would replant and leave 4ft from each fence, so this tree has the room to grow.
And then water every day for the first 30 days, 3-4 times a week over the summer.
Nice tree and looks nice there NOW, but in 5 years your neighbor is gonna be very unhappy. That is too close to the fence and their house. I would move it now while you still can.
It looks like it is planted too deep in addition too close to the fence. The root flare (where the trunk and roots meet) should be at or slightly above ground level after a tree is planted. Maybe it was planted properly but mulched up the trunk? If that is the case, rake the mulch away until you can see the root flare. https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/tree-planting-basics
In a couple years, any branches that go into your neighbors yard are considered their property. That means they can hack up your tree however they want as long as they are cutting off what is on their property. If you care about the health of the tree and how it looks then might be smart to move it further away from the fence now while you still can.
I would not have put that so close to the fence. Not too late to move it a few feet inwards
Move it before you regret it. I’d give 6-10ft off the fence line, especially since it’s so close to that other structure.
This tree is a Japanese Maple. It doesn’t get that big.
It grows slowly, reaching about 8 to 10 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide within 10 years.
I had one of these before and it took forever to grow. Definitely an ornamental tree. Not an issue.
Pull the mulch a little away from the trunk too, you’ve got to expose the root flare, though it may be small, it will still be noticeable. If you cant find it after pulling the mulch away entirely, that’s your sign that you planted the tree too deep. Thankfully that’s an easy fix since you just planted it 🙂
Also, as someone else said, yeah, it’s too close to that fence. The poor thing will suffer as it gets bigger & you’ll end up cutting unnecessary branches to give it space.
There should be no watering schedule. You water when the tree needs it.
Also, you’re not going to cut that grass behind the tree. Get rid of it.
It looks likes it’s planted too deep. The nursay stake need to be removed. It doesnt appear to have a large enough mulch ring.
What does the tag on the tree say in terms of size? Also what variety of Japanese maple is it?
Here’s a good resource for newly planted trees:
[Planting and transplanting trees and shrubs](https://extension.umn.edu/how/planting-and-transplanting-trees-and-shrubs)
And you can remove the bamboo stick.
“Puts trees as legally close to neighbors house as possible”
Don’t be shocked when they come knocking and bitching about branches in a few years.
She’s lovely but why did you put baby in the corner??
Please reconsider that tree placement
As others have said, placement is a big issue, and too deep.
Find the name of the tree.
Search tree canopy width and height at maturity.
The width is the important number here, as that will determine how much of it will encroach into neighbours yard.
If the canopy is going to be 20′ wide plant the tree 10′ from the fence.
Planting too deeply can prevent proper aeration of roots, cause root rot and water to pool.
Great suggestions here, and it is a beautiful tree, worth giving it the best possible chance of survival and avoiding neighbours hacking at overhanging branches as it grows.
Typical rule is 10 gallons of water per week per inch diameter of the trunk for the first couple years during the growing season. So if the trunk is two inches across, 20 gallons a week, etc etc. Usually recommended to do slowly, either by letting your hose gently trickle into the mulch bed for a while, or by placing 5 gallon buckets with small holes drilled in the bottom around the tree and filling them with water. This helps the water penetrate further into the ground
So if it’s been raining a ton that week, you won’t have to water as much but probably still some.
You shouldn’t need to water every day. I did 15 gallons (~2 minutes of steady flow) every few days or when the soil is dry an inch or two down below the surface. Just stick your finger in the soil. If there’s dirt stuck to your finger, it’s wet. If it’s clean, it’s dry.
Also, move the tree. You’ll regret the location in a couple years, and it will be too late to do anything about it.
Like everyone else said, dog it up now and move it much farther from that house (and the fence, but house foundation is my real concern).
It may also be buried too deep, you should be able to see the root flare above the ground. Burying too deep can lead to rot and slowly suffocate the tree.
New trees need a lot of water, but they prefer deep watering weekly over frequent short waterings. I’d give that 10 gal a week for the first couple years, reducing in winter when dormant to every 2 weeks on a warm day. After the first couple years I’d reduce frequency to every two weeks.
Why is your garden so empty?
Looks like too close to the fence.
No you don’t but also that kind of tree gets big enough that it will destroy that fence.
That maple has probably a 30 foot mature spread. Ideally, if you can and it’s not too late, I’d transplant it 15 feet away from the fence.
That tree is wayyyyy too close to the corner it has no room. Can you still move it?
Is it a Japanese maple?
What a bad place to plant a tree. Please move it.
This needs replanting further away from the property and fence imo.
Why do people plant so close to structures and buildings.
It’s planted too close, way too deep, and needs to have the bamboo stake removed.
Here’s the basic instruction and consideration on [how to plant a tree](https://www.treesaregood.org/Tree-Owner-Resources/Planting-a-Tree)
Some Japanese maple are grafted, if so, the graft union needs to be well above the soil line. Here’s what [graft failure looks like and what the bulge will look like](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/graft-failure/) on a mature tree.
Burying the tree too deeply can cause trunk rot, graft union failure (if grafted), root girdling, suffocation, and secondary issues due to tree stress. Such as being more susceptible to pest and diseases. Here’s a quick guide to [exposing the root flare](https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/How-to-Properly-Plant-a-Tree-Root-Flare_v2.pdf).
Maples are generally more susceptible to developing root girdling due to improper care and nursery conditions. Always check for [girdling roots](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/girdling-roots/) on your newly purchased trees. Ideally before you purchase it. Don’t go hacking away if you do spot a bunch however. You’ll need to gradually remove them, possibly over the course of years to not cause immediate tree death.
This [wiki](https://reddit.com/r/Tree/wiki/index) in general is a decent starting point for looking into resources for tree planting and care.
For watering, nonnative trees generally need some babying. How much and often you need to supplemental water is dependent on your climate and soil conditions. A very general rule of thumb for Japanese maples is that the soil should feel moist to the touch about 8 inches down. Once it’s dried out (it needs dry periods for the roots to breathe), you do deep watering. To do so, you set your hose to trickle at the edge of the root ball (not at the base of the trunk) for about 30 min. Move the hose to each corner of the tree every 10 mins ideally. Check if the soil feels moist to the touch 8 inches down. Obviously, don’t dig at the root, just check the edge of the root ball. If it doesn’t feel moist to the touch, repeat until it does. Slow and steady is the name of the game. It’s often recommended to do this for about a year. I’ve personally done it for a month for native plants and 3 months for nonnative (but climate compatible) plants. I like to gradually decrease supplemental watering over time so that the plant doesn’t get shocked or otherwise grow beyond what the local climate can support.
Disclaimer: I’m just a hobbyist. I’ve successfully planted dozens of trees at various stages of growth and conditions. But that’s as far as my credentials go.
Move it before it costs you lots
I water new trees 2x a week with about 1-2 gal, particulary important for me to water cuz my trees were bare root. Rain often is only surface wet in my area, especially in summer and you want to encourage deep root formation.
You’re going to regret planting that there.
If you plan to keep it fairly small, I don’t think it’s too close to your fences. Use your hands to pull mulch away from the trunk. Leave a space of at least 4 inches. Realize that the mulch is there to keep water from evaporating quickly from the root zone, not to make it look nice. Think about the way dead leaves would fall to the ground in the autumn. It can be placed out to the edge of the canopy if you want. IDK where you live / what your temperatures are, but deepwater to bottom of root ball (or about 18 inches) on following schedule:
First month: 1 x week
Second month: 1x every 10 days
3rd month: 1x every 2 weeks
4th month: 1x a month unless temps are hot. Then be watching it for leaf wilt ( drought stress) and water more often if you see that.
Thereafter, deepwater once a month during the dry season.
Rain doesn’t penetrate very far unless it is raining a lot, so just use your own judgement.
Don’t do any trimming until next winter/spring. Japanese maples are trimmed in a vase shape. Open the center, let the top spread a little, layer branches in opposing tiers. Don’t take out more than 20% of canopy a year. You’ll get the hang of it.
dick neighbor
OP, you should move it now. This tree is too close to the fence and your house. It’s a lot of work, I get that, but in a few years you will have a direct highway to your house for a myriad of rodents in addition to other issues. If you’re worried it’ll look weird, put some annuals around the base to make it appear fuller.
If that’s a japanese maple then this is what the end game is… Like others said, might want to move it away from that house a bit….
https://preview.redd.it/2j6stcs0mcyg1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=983491f31f8032f49ccc1cfe6f0ef288033a00a7
My first thought when I saw the post pic – These trees can grow to 10-25 wide and tall.
It needs moved several feet out from the corner.
It’s also nice to consider our neighbors. This tree looks like it’s eight feet, if that, from the neighbor’s foundation. Additionally, if the prevailing winds blow the neighbor’s direction, we’re giving them leaves to rake.
Digbit up now while you have the chance. You’re going to hate it once the neighbors chop off the branches that grow over the fence.
Andbuiybonly need to water it weekly, if that, not daily.
Looks like a ‘Bloodgood’ variety. They can have a good upright habit, but the spread can be up to about 10ft in diameter. Root flare needs to be shallower, as mentioned, otherwise you’re just torturing the poor thing… and trim bottom branches up to at least 18 – 24″ from the ground to prevent contamination from soil during watering. Prone to caterpillars/pests so may want to apply a few wraps of tanglefoot. You’ll need to move it regardless for air flow/sun exposure, or else leaves won’t dry enough and fungus/mold can set in. Prune inner crossover branches after sap stops running to increase airflow. Best of luck.