Tree Watering Methods

Soaker hoses are a commercially available and relatively inexpensive way to water. They can be used on trees, but they are much better suited for flower beds and shrubs.

A soaker hose looks like a black garden hose but it is made out of a porous material that allows water to seep out evenly along the entire length of the hose. Many soaker hoses can be tied together, but very long strands may have a higher leakage rate at the spigot end because the pressure will drop farther down the line. To maximize effectiveness and minimize evaporation it should be covered with soil or mulch.

Quantity per application can be very difficult to judge because hose porosity may differ between manufacturers and your water pressure will make a huge difference. In fact, some hoses may not be rated to handle full pressure if it is too high.

There are several concerns with using this method on new trees. Since most trees are randomly scattered around a yard, you will need to use a regular hose to get to them. It becomes very difficult to water several trees at the same time, and once again, you don’t know how much you are putting on, or how deep it is getting. If you are going to cover the hose in mulch, it becomes impractical to move it from tree to tree each week. It would then make sense to acquire a hose for each tree, driving up the total cost. Soaker hoses are just not a practical approach for water multiple new trees.