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Once the trees have been planted at
your site, the real commitment begins on your part. You will be
expected to water and maintain the trees for the next two years or
until the trees become established. The Maintenance Phase section
will address the following issues:
How
much water do I need to give each tree?
Remember, by receiving City of Fort Worth trees,
you are committing yourself to water them for two years. The
Forestry Section requires that you provide a minimum of 7 gallons of
water per caliper inch per week throughout the growing season as
needed. This means that a 3” caliper tree will need to receive 21
gallons a week. During periods of heavy rainfall, you will not need
to water the trees. The watering is to continue for a minimum of two
years or until such time as the trees become established.
Newly
planted trees need slow, deep watering to become established. By
encouraging the water to move deep into the soil, you are
encouraging a deeper root system and a more drought tolerant tree.
For more information on how to do this, please visit the tree
maintenance section of our website. Once your
trees are established, you may also find additional information on
how to care for them on page 9 of the Native & Adapted Trees for
Fort Worth & Tarrant County tree planting and maintenance
guide (English
version, Spanish
version).
How
can I tell if I’m giving the trees enough water?
- Symptoms
of water stress
Wilting and leaf scorch are both signs of water stress caused by lack of
water. However, over-watering trees can create similar browning
symptoms and even cause the leaves to turn black and/or fall off.
Tree roots need oxygen to survive. When the soil becomes over
saturated with water, it results in not enough oxygen being
available for tree roots. Without a healthy root system, the plant
is no longer able to absorb water and will show signs of water
stress (wilting and leaf scorch), only this time caused by too much
water. Unfortunately, many people assume these symptoms are from
lack of water and continue to contribute to the problem by
over-watering, eventually causing the tree to die.
- Checking
soil moisture
Because
the signs of water stress can be misleading on trees,
it is important that you also check the moisture level of the soil.
This can easily be done by feeling or squeezing a handful of soil
and will help you determine whether the frequency and amount of
water you are giving the trees are adequate for the conditions of
your site. Gently dig a small hole in the loosened backfill soil
that is just outside the tree’s root-ball. Avoid sampling from the
top layer of the soil since it will dry out faster than the rest of
the soil. Instead, take the soil sample at a depth of 6-8”, or
below if you are concerned about deep moisture. Do this several
hours after watering.
What
else am I expected to do?
You
are also expected to maintain, by mulching and weeding, the water
ring that was constructed around each tree at the time of planting. Mulch for this purpose may be obtained at Rolling Hills Park
at 2525 Joe B. Rushing Road, Mapsco 92N.
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