Give your newly planted trees and hedging the best possible start. Calculate recommended watering quantities using our professional aftercare guidelines.
Based on 3 plants per linear metre and a 400 mm-wide planting strip.
Enter the number of newly planted specimen trees.
This is a starting estimate. Check the soil around the roots before watering and adjust for rainfall, temperature and drainage.
Newly planted hedging requires consistent watering to establish a healthy root system. Our standard calculation uses approximately 24 litres per square metre of planted area every 7–10 days, subject to weather and soil conditions.
For this calculator, we assume a planting strip 400 mm wide, giving a water requirement of 9.6 litres per linear metre of hedging.
Apply water slowly and evenly along the planted strip, concentrating on the root zone rather than the surrounding lawn or paving.
During prolonged hot or dry weather, check the root zone more frequently. Reduce or omit watering when rainfall has already provided sufficient moisture.
At the height of summer, the watering target for a newly planted specimen tree is 20 litres (approximately two domestic buckets) every other day, subject to actual soil moisture and site conditions.
This is the peak-summer target. Watering can be gradually increased through spring and reduced during autumn as conditions change.
Water the tree thoroughly when it is first planted. For deciduous trees, resume watering around bud burst in spring and continue through the growing season until leaf fall, adjusting for rainfall.
Regular watering is generally important during the first two growing seasons. By the third year, many well-established trees can obtain sufficient moisture from the surrounding soil, although supplementary watering may still be needed during severe drought.
Larger trees, particularly those with trunk girths exceeding 20 cm, may require supplementary watering during their second growing season.
Evergreen trees may occasionally need water during prolonged dry winter spells when the soil is dry and unfrozen.
Use a watering can with a rose attachment, a sprinkler or a suitable irrigation system to deliver water gently at low pressure.
Distribute water evenly across the rootball or planted hedge strip to encourage balanced root development.
Check moisture below the surface. Avoid watering already saturated soil or allowing the root zone to dry out completely.
Increase watering as conditions become warmer and drier, then reduce it as rainfall increases and growth slows.
The calculator provides general establishment guidance, not a fixed watering prescription. Plant size, species, rootball volume, soil conditions, rainfall, exposure and drainage can significantly alter requirements. Check actual soil moisture before applying water.
Do not apply the suggested quantity where the root zone is already adequately moist or waterlogged.
