How much water and how often should you water new dormant trees?

Question

We planted a 12 foot burr oak, a 10 foot chinquapin oak, a coral bark maple and 3 crape myrtles in November. They were watered well and have wood mulch. We are confused about how often and how much we should water them since they are dormant. Can you please send us some instructions to help us?

Answer 1

While newly planted trees should generally be watered quite frequently (https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/watering-newly-planted-tree.htm ), in a dormant stage, they normally require less but should receive some, especially if it’s somewhat warm in your location. If you receive a fair amount of rainfall, then this reduces the need for watering more. Usually over winter, trees and other plants need no more than once a month watering if no other moisture is available to them. I would just check them each week and see how dry the soil is and water based on that. Once new growth begins in spring, you can begin to increase the amount of watering, again depending on rainfall in your area.