Please water your trees!
Tree Bud conducting health checks and watering a Burr Oak
Happy Summer and a warm welcome to our new Livingston Loves Trees, Tree Adopters!
It's going to be a scorcher this weekend so make sure your tree gets a good, deep watering. As we move through the hot and dry season, it is imperative that your tree regularly receives plenty of water. Insufficient watering and weed whackers are the most common causes of tree mortality.
In the first 3-5 years, young trees need deep watering 3x a week to thrive and 2x a week to survive.
Rain or sprinklers do not penetrate deep enough to reach roots. Deep watering encourages roots to go deep, which is essential in our dry and high wind environment.
Keep scrolling for more watering tips!
The Tree Buds have also been very busy engaging with adopters and spreading tree care awareness! Please say hi to these wonderful volunteers as they conduct tree health checks this summer. Our harsh MT climate requires that some trees need some extra care at times and a health check will provide some tips to help your tree thrive. You might even see them out survival watering.
If you would like to volunteer to perform health checks on some of our LLT-planted trees, contact Taylor Brandt at taylor@pcecmt.org.
In the meantime, enjoy the afternoon thunderstorms and finding shade where you can – maybe even under your adopted tree!
WATERING TIPS!
Your tree needs 10 gal per inch of trunk diameter per week.
The best time to water your tree is in the morning, when there’s minimal evaporation. The second best time to water your tree is whenever you can find the time! Increase watering if leaves start to look dry and crunchy. When in doubt, water!
A tree well surrounded by plants and full of mulch getting watered
How do you know how long to water your tree with a hose?
Time how long it takes for your hose to fill a 5 gallon bucket while on low flow. Then you can leave your hose running at the base of your tree for however long it takes to reach the desired amount of water for your tree based on its diameter. This time will vary from person to person, and what works for your neighbor's tree might not be adequate for your tree.
Don’t have time to water, or planning on leaving town?
If you’re unable to regularly meet your tree's watering needs, ask a friend or set a backup! Consider asking a neighbor to water your tree, or investing in a slow-release watering bag. A 20 gal. reusable tree watering bags range from $15-25 and can be found at local hardware and landscape stores, or online. Just one week without water can be very harmful to your tree, especially in the summer heat.
Lincoln School, Honeylocust planted in 2024, with a tree watering bag purchased online, 2025. We fill this 20 gal bag weekly, and will remove it when the tree goes dormant in the winter.
Visit our Livingston Loves Trees Resource Library for more guides and tips on tree maintenance.
You can always reach out to MSU Extension if you need more help trouble shooting your trees and have questions. They are an excellent professional free local expert resource!
Park County Extension Office 119 South 3rd St Livingston, MT 59047 (406) 222-4156. Agent: Jackie Petersen jackie.petersen@montana.edu
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