How much water a young fruit tree really needs in its first year

Help them grow strong roots.

Planting a fruit tree in your yard can mean a bounty of fresh apples, boxes of peaches, or baskets of fresh figs as they’re in season. Before you pull out the recipe box for fruit pies, salads, and preserves, you need to properly care for a young tree to help it become established and healthy enough to provide fruitful harvests. Before your tree produces any fruits, it needs a strong root system. Establishing roots is critical for young fruit trees so they can get adequate nutrients and water. If root growth is stunted, your tree—and its harvests—may suffer. It can take more than one growing season for the tree to become established. Here’s when you should water your young fruit trees and how to do it right.

When To Water Young Fruit Trees

An established root system extends beyond the width of the tree’s canopy, and it can take longer than one growing season to get there. Proper moisture is the key to a tree’s growth and fruit production. You’ll need to water a fruit tree not only when it’s young, but also as roots continue to grow into the surrounding native soil to obtain nutrients and support the tree. How often should you water a young tree through these stages? Here’s a breakdown:

When You Plant The Tree

Water a fruit tree well when you first plant it. To soak the root ball and help the soil settle, pour 5 gallons of water slowly over the root zone at the base of the tree.

During The First Two Weeks After Planting

Young fruit trees need a lot of water after they are first planted, from 3 to 5 gallons each week. Water every day for the first one or two weeks, then water every two to three days after planting for three to 12 weeks. The goal is to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged, encouraging roots to grow downward and deep. 

During The First Year

For the rest of the first year, young fruit trees will need an inch of water every week. Avoid frequent light waterings because it will encourage shallow roots that look for moisture at the surface and don’t anchor the fruit tree well. Supplement any rainfall, and increase the frequency to every three to five days during hot weather or if the fruit tree is growing in sandy soil since it drains quickly. For clay soil, you may need to water less often because it retains moisture longer than other soil types. You will need to increase watering as the roots grow and spread out and as the tree approaches its second year.

Once winter arrives, reduce watering to every two to four weeks if there hasn’t been rain or snow, and water only when temperatures are 40ºF or higher. Don’t water if the ground is frozen. 

How To Water Young Fruit Trees

1. When watering, you should be watering the roots from the trunk to the drip line at the edge of the tree's canopy. To keep water from running off, use a low and slow method such as a soaker hose or drip irrigation to allow the water to slowly sink into the roots for deep watering. A sprinkler can cause water to pool and run off before the soil has time to absorb it.
2. Check 4 to 6 inches deep to see if the soil needs moisture. It should stay consistently moist. Wait to water if it’s still pretty wet. You may need to water more often during hot weather and dry spells. Checking the soil first can help you determine watering frequency.
3. The best time to water fruit trees is in the morning to reduce evaporation, give the roots time to absorb the moisture, and help them survive a hot day. You also want the leaves to dry quickly to avoid fungal diseases. When it’s dark outside, the sun doesn’t dry the leaves and moisture that sits on them overnight can invite fungus to grow.  
4. Mulching can help the soil retain moisture, but be careful not to layer the mulch so that it touches the tree’s trunk. This can trap the moisture and lead to fungus, diseases, pests, and rot.

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