02/02/2026
A question many of us have asked this winter is – Should I water my trees and shrubs? Typically, we do not need to think about winter watering in northern Utah, but from November to today, temperatures have been warm, and snow and rain have been severely lacking. In fact, December was one of the warmest on record in the state.
If the ground is not frozen, tree roots are still active and need water.
Below are some watering recommendations from Utah State University, the Arbor Day Foundation and Colorado State University. If you do not have access to an irrigation faucet, either use buckets of water from another source or plan to water deeply once your irrigation is on in the spring.
General info
• For watering, some people use 5-gal buckets with holes in the bottoms (and move the buckets around) or the gator bags. (Remove gator bags when empty.)
• Some recommend about 10 gal water per inch of the tree’s diameter.
• Only apply water when the day is going to be 40F or above, and no precipitation has fallen recently.
• This will prevent the newly-applied water from freezing.
• Water in the late morning or mid-day to allow for soaking into the soil.
• Trees that are near buildings or streets with reflected heat are more sensitive to root damage and need more water.
• Trees in exposed, windy areas are more sensitive to damage and would need more water.
Deciduous Trees
• For trees that have been in the ground more than 4 years, water once or twice per month during periods of no snow or rain.
• For young trees that are newly-planted and up to 4 years in the ground, water twice per month.
• Add mulch around the base of trees after watering (if there is no mulch there) to preserve soil moisture and prevent freeze/thaw.
Evergreen Trees
• For pines, spruces, etc., apply water every other week. Evergreens lose more water during winter because needles are transpiring on warmer days.
• Add mulch around the base of trees after watering (if there is no mulch there) to preserve soil moisture and prevent freeze/thaw.
