How to Water Tree Rings

A soil berm around the roots can help you to water the tree.

When you plant a tree, one of the last steps is to construct a raised ring of soil around the base of the tree. This tree ring is specifically designed to help you to water the tree during the first few months until the roots become established and the tree can pull moisture from the soil more effectively. As you water a tree using the ring, the dirt slowly dissolves. By the time the tree ring completely vanishes, the tree's root system is established.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Mulch
• Rake
• Garden hose
• Rain gauge

Instructions

1. Construct a tree ring or "earthen dam" around the base of the tree with a shovel. Pile soil that was displaced by the root ball in a ring 6 inches tall extending around the tree just outside of the tree's drip line.

2. Fill this tree ring completely with mulch. Rake the mulch back away from the tree's trunk by about 4 inches to avoid creating an environment where fungus can get into the bark of the tree.

3. Fill the ring with water from a garden hose until the mulch at the top of the pile floats. Allow the water to soak into the soil. Use about 2 gallons of water per cubic foot of root ball. A tree bought in a 5-gallon container will have about 1/2 cubic foot of root ball, and will need only 1 gallon of water three times weekly during drought conditions when there is no supplemental rain. Use a rain gauge to determine if your tree needs water.

References

• Texas A&M University Extension: Planting a Tree
• University of Tennessee Extension:Mulching Your Trees and Landscapes
• University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: Efficient Water Use in Landscapes and Nurseries

Resources

• NC State Univeristy Extension: Planting Trees and Shrubs