Supplemental Watering And Its Benefits.

If you have lived in Colorado for some time now, you’re no stranger to the fact that we do not get very much moisture during the spring and summer months… same goes for the fall and winter.

With irrigation lines being blown out for the cold months ahead, how will our trees shrubs and lawns be affected? Newer plantings do not have a root system that can store the proper water and nutrients needed to survive without receiving regular water, the result of too much oxygen or a dried-out root system can vary from extensive branch die back or the whole tree and or plant will perish and not leaf out the following spring. In some cases, the plants will have just enough stored energy to fully leaf out and appear completely healthy, but once those nutrients and water run out the plant will wilt and die off as if it happened out of nowhere.

When temperatures are above 40 degrees, the soil is not frozen, and there is no standing snow on the ground we highly recommend watering with either a deep root attachment or doing a light soak just inside the dripline covering a large area while avoiding run off. It is very important that the water soaks in and reaches the roots itself, If the water is pooling but running off past the root zone the watering has done no good to the plant. In Colorado we tend to get shallow root systems, meaning the roots spread out more than they go down. If using a deep root attachment, we recommend going no further than 6 inches into the ground, if the probe goes past the beneficial roots, they will not be able to uptake. 

Although being sure newly planted trees and shrubs get more than enough water during the winter months, it is also extremely important to not forget about your more mature, established trees as well, especially evergreens. Here in Colorado, we have everything going against our landscapes, from our continued drought and short growing seasons to unpredictable fall and winter weather storms (if any) we should be doing our best to protect our trees and shrubs throughout all seasons.

With our winter watering services you’re getting more than just some non-potable water from the Douglas County fill station.. You’re also getting a combination of yucca extract and complex carbohydrates, responsible for increasing foliar growth and nutrient uptake. Yucca extracts also reduce salt buildup by decreasing dry pocket formation within the soil and increasing absorbency in clay soils.

Does mulch help?

Yes, mulch is very beneficial in protecting young, vulnerable root systems from drastic weather changes. With the protected layer the mulch acts as insulation to the root zone limiting the shock from the cold outside temperatures.