QuestionQUESTION: Three weeks ago I planted a 58" Blue Italian Cypress tree with mulch and deep soaked it with a circular soaker hose. I should have know better than to rely on TWO moisture meters. After 10 days of reading WET, my wife noticed the bottom 1/4 of the tree was a faded green and drying out. Needles falling off to the touch. I have deep soaked it twice, but I guess it's too late. I just have to watch the fading color progress to the top. Is there anything I can do....besides break both moisture meters? And is it true that they only measure the electrical conductivity of the soil? For my other plants I am presently using a 1/4" X 16" wooden dowl. I live 35 miles SW of Tucson, Az. and the soil is very good.
ANSWER: Sounds like it is getting too much water. I would water every fourth day with 1 inch of water (place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop). Do this for the first couple of months only IF it does not rain and then only once a week through the growing season.
Blue Italian Cypress grows in drought conditions and does not like much water.
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QUESTION: Yesterday my wife and I planted a 4 foot Hollywood Juniper with many berries. How often should it be watered and should I use the 1" per pan method of measuring? Since I don't have a sprinkler system, can I run a soaker hose across the pan? If not, would sprinkling the whole tree with a hose work till I get the one inch of water in the pan? That method would have to be done in the evening since in Tucson, Az. it already gets to 90 - 95 degrees around 4 pm.
AnswerI would water a new planting every third day with the 1 inch method. You do not need a sprinkler system just a sprinkler on the this will work great. If you just use the hose you have the tenancy to not get the water spread out around the tree's roots. You could use the soaker the timing of the water output should work the way you described. Evening would be best --the water will not evaporate as fast.
