water requirements for trees

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We get about fourteen inches of rain each year here in eastern Washington. This year has been especially dry.

I have some creeks and ponds. I'm wondering about what I should try to plant where. Some things will do fine far from water, others will need some consideration.

Is there a web page or book that will relate how much water different trees need?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), September 30, 2001

Answers

Your local extention office should be able to help you, if not tre www.cornell.edu. They have many different choices including tree diseases, best choices for a given site etc.

-- paul (treewizard@buffalo.com), September 30, 2001.

We planted lots of fruit trees in Central Texas, where the summers are very hot and dry. The first year, it was very important to water them deeply, weekly. By the next year, they've sent down pretty good roots, and don't need much watering.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), October 01, 2001.

I went to cornell.edu and did not find anything helpful.

I think that for the first year we will have to water no mater where we plant. But our north pasture faces the south and it will get very little water. I'm pretty sure that no fruit tree will survive there without supplemental water, which I don't think we should plan on doing beyond the first year.

Most conifer trees will do fine. But I'm curious about cedars and redwoods - how much water do they need? And what deciduous trees can get by with little water?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), October 01, 2001.


Cedars are known for thier ability to survive in a dry climate. One candidate for a shade tree that can make it without a lot of water is the Siberian Elm (Ulmis pumila), have seen these growing in West Texas (Martin County) where their annual precipitation is probably similar or less than yours. Another drought-resistant variety, atleast in South Dakota, is the common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

-- fred (fred@mddc.com), October 01, 2001.

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