Watering Fruit Trees During Drought

The trees in your yard need you.
Watering fruit trees during drought. If you can spare the water water large trees twice a month. Often drought stress is associated with heat stress during the hot summer months. Spread the mulch all around the tree. Mulching helps the tree retain moisture.
When water demand of a fruit tree is higher than supply drought stress occurs. The less you water your fruit tree the deeper and wider the roots will grow in search of moisture. A small windbreak tree one planted a year or two ago still needs about 2 or 3 gallons of water a week. The best means of applying this water for landscape trees is slowly with a soaker hose placed near the tree.
At least once a week watering but preferably 2 3 times a week if you get no rainfall. But their growth may be improved by watering when they are under drought stress trees and shrubs planted less than five years ago have increased water requirements and may suffer drought stress without watering. All size trees should be watered especially during drought conditions because normal rainfall is non existent. According to skip richter county agent with the texas agrilife extension service in houston during periods of drought the goal is to provide just enough supplemental irrigation to maximize growth on young trees and to keep older established trees healthy.
Watering slowly allows the soil to capture more water molecules as it percolates. Water trees during a drought. Be sure to water the entire root zone beneath the tree canopy. Drought stress causes wilting yellowing of the leaves advanced leaf fall and premature fruit ripening or fruit drop.
Keep the mulch at least 6 inches from the trunk. Slow deep watering every five to seven days during drought is ideal for mature trees in the midwest or northeast and four to six days during drought for mature trees in areas with 95 to 105 degree temperatures fahrenheit. It is far more efficient than applying a lot of water at once which ends up as run off. Generally in drought mature trees can survive with a monthly watering from april through october.
From november to march reduce watering to every other week. A 2 inch diameter tree measured at 6 inches above the ground should receive about 20 gallons of water a week during drought periods. Add 3 4 inches of mulch. If mulch is next to the tree the bark could rot.
All trees should also receive adequate water during the winter months too but water can be less frequent. Established trees and shrubs do not generally need watering as they have such wide ranging roots that they are drought proof. This will increase the strength and vigor of the tree. During times of drought the tables are turned.
The trick is to water deeply ideally using a soaker hose to help the water reach a depth of 8 12 inches.