Watering Trees in a Drought

What should you water during the drought?

We’ve been here before and we’ll be here again. Weathering Denver’s extreme temperature shifts, unpredictable snowpack, and increasingly hot weather is a challenge for us all (more lip balm anyone?). We’re all on outdoor water restrictions and have to make hard choices about where to use this limited resource. What should you water in a drought? Our trees need to stay hydrated to survive just like we do. When choosing what to water outdoors and when, we’ve got you.

Priority #1: Trees and shrubs – these woody plants are our longest living and slowest growing. Losing one now will set you back years and ultimately lead to more outdoor water use due to evaporation in hot, exposed areas. So when choosing what to water in a drought, choose to water your trees.

Priority #2: Perennials and low-water grasses – in drought years, look to our native prairie landscapes for inspiration on what grows well here in Colorado. Consider reducing lawn areas that aren’t getting used and replacing them with Coloradoscape. Denver Water has a ton of great resources on transforming your landscape, including some incentives.

Last priority: lawns – in areas that aren’t actively used for play, these areas aren’t doing anyone or anything any good. They house Japanese beetle grubs, take up acres of native grassland to grow, and suck up way more water than they’re worth. Let ’em brown up – they’ll come back in the monsoons just fine.

Tree Planting During a Drought

Good news! There’s good reason to keep planting – our forest needs consistent care and growth – and no change to our recommendations. We worked with Denver Water to ensure that you’re good to do what’s best for the tree. Here is a link to our Tree Planting Guidelines. If you can get out there before 10am or after 6pm, that’s still best.

Tree Establishment Watering During Drought

Once planted, you need to follow Denver Water’s outdoor watering restrictions. Good news! Hand-watering and drip irrigation will be your friends:

• There are no restrictions on which days of the week you can hand-water or use drip irrigation, or how much water you can use
• You SHOULD still follow time-of-day restrictions for both hand-watering and drip irrigation: Water before 10am and after 6pm (this is also better for your tree, as less water will be lost to evaporation)
• If you need to water between 10am-6pm, you can apply for a temporary Watering Establishment Permit from Denver Water to establish your new tree
• For hand-watering, you will need to use a hose nozzle (like the one pictured) to control the flow of water