Q. I know you water a boxed tree to 24” deep but do you water a new tree to 24” deep even if is a sapling in a 15-gallon pot?
A. What we have done with newly planted fruit trees (planted among established fruit trees) is move drip emitters closer to the trunk during the first year of establishment. These newly planted trees are irrigated 18 to 24 inches deep during this time, but the emitters are spaced on top of the rootball, close to the trunk. By fall, newly planted trees will become “established” and acclimated. The right number of drip emitters can be added for future growth at that time. The newly planted trees will become established when temperatures cool off by the fall months (usually by the end of September or early October).
Planting during the spring months (late January through March) gives these plants time to get established by fall. Spring or early summer planted plants will usually get established by the following fall. Fall planting of trees and shrubs have a cool fall and the following spring to get established. Planting during the early summer months (April and May) will work but does not give them as many months to get established.
Once plants get established (provided the planting hole was dug wide enough) during the fall months the water can be applied normally, with the other plants.