Should You Water Your Trees in Fall?

woman holding watering an about to water her tree

Fall offers an important opportunity to tend to your trees, following the heat stress of summer and ahead of winter’s cold weather and storminess. A proper watering regimen is a crucial component of seasonal tree maintenance this time of year.

Watering Trees in the Fall

sprinkler watering tree in the fallWhen and how much to water a tree in the fall partly depends on the particular kind of tree we’re talking about as well as its location on your property in terms of exposure, soil, and other environmental variables. It’s a hugely important issue, as a whole host of tree problems can be boiled down to watering: most obviously, too much or too little. So always take care to consider how you’re watering a given tree in the context of its specific needs and setting.

In general, though, it’s often a good idea to limit watering in the early fall to help a tree with its hardening-off process, which protects it from cold damage in the upcoming winter. Later in the fall, ample watering lessens a tree’s vulnerability to winter desiccation and generally helps keep it in good, healthy condition—ideal for weathering all of the cold season’s challenges.

Fall is an excellent time to plant trees, or to move smaller existing ones. Planting a tree in fall helps it develop a well-established root system by the time the following growing season—and potential heat/drought conditions—set in, whereas a spring-planted tree may not have had the time to establish itself enough for maximum productivity in the summertime. A newly planted tree in the autumn should be well watered.

Of course, big-picture-wise, you want to make sure you’re not under- or overwatering a tree, and fall is an important season for determining that, given a stressed or unhealthy tree is more vulnerable to winter weather such as subzero temperatures and ice storms.

Turn to Us for Expert Tree Care Services in North Atlanta

A tree that doesn’t get enough water, is being overwatered, or is receiving water on an improper timetable can experience a host of problems. Those can potentially even lead to its death—whether directly from moisture issues or indirectly from the secondary factors such as disease or infestation that may plague a thirsty or waterlogged tree.

If you’re unsure how to approach fall watering for the trees on your property – and to otherwise evaluate their health – reach out to Excel Tree Care! We offer highly skilled, comprehensive arboriculture services for customers across the North Atlanta metro area (including 24-hour emergency calls), and fall is a great time to have us give your trees a once-over. In all of our work, we put an emphasis on leave-no-trace workmanship, taking care to protect your yard—including your trees and other softscaping—as we carry out our operations.

You can get in touch with the Excel Tree Care team over the phone at (404) 964-6508 or by filling out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you—and we wish you a very happy fall!