Could anyone help me out with my new MO? Started to notice some leaf browning, not sure if this is normal at this time of the year. It was freshly planted about 10 months ago. Have been watering it 1-2 times per week with drip hose for 30 minutes depending on if it rains or not. Worried that the recent rains might have overwatered it.
by thelurkmeister
5 Comments
Looks like it needs mulch and seaweed fertilizer
I have two MO, one about 15 years old and one about 10 years old. I water them both every other day. It’s very hot so I stand with water hose fan sprayer and water the grass and give them a drink.
Definitely needs mulch, and I suspect more water – 30min of drip irrigation doesn’t seem like much.
You also need to remove the stake; that is for stabilizing the tree while it’s in transit/being moved around and should be removed as soon as it’s planted. Trees need to be able to move with the wind to develop trunk strength.
At that size, they need 20G of water every other day in this heat. Build a 3ft diameter “well” around the base about 3″ deep. Ideally you do this with the dirt from the hole but mulch will also work. Then you can just leave your hose open in the well for however long it takes to get to 20 gals. You want to adjust the pressure so the water gets absorbed while not overflowing the well. For me its 8 minutes. Perfect chunk of time to tend to something else in the morning, then come back and repeat on another tree. When the highs drop back into the 80s, move to every 3 days, then 4 in the winter. Keep the schedule regardless of the weather. Our rains run off or evaporate long before they get to the depth these trees need in summer. Which is from Mar-Ocr. 🙂
Getting close to time to lose that bamboo support too.
Take that bamboo stake out that’s pressed up against the trunk, and it will probably stop. I always wonder why they’re left when there are actual metal stakes installed. Those poles are meant for use in nursery pots, but left behind, they start to harm the tree as it grows. It can lead to wounds in the bark, disease and pest issues. More mulch never hurts too.