Watering and Fertilization
Watering
- Single most important task
- Watering timetable depends on rainfall received
- Moisture holding capacity of soil
- Drainage characteristics of site
- General rule – 1 inch every 7 to 10 days during first growing season
- Inspect once a week to determine if watering is necessary
- Inspect more often during hot, dry weather
- Deep, infrequent watering is best
- Water slowly and lightly
Common Watering Mistakes
- Over watering – suffocates root system
- Rapid, frequent watering – encourages shallow rooting
- Hard, fast watering – causes soil compaction, runoff, water does not reach root system
- Frequent trunk wetting – encourages fungal activity, decay
Fertilization
- Not recommended at time of planting
- Research has shown it to be ineffective until tree has re-established its root system
Mycorrhizae
- Naturally occurring in native forest soils
- Beneficial fungi that help tree roots absorb water and nutrients
- Research has shown to have limited benefits
- May be beneficial in poor quality sub-soil where topsoil, organic layers have been removed