Winter Watering Service in Denver

Bailey Tree LLC Winter Watering ProgramIt’s Cold and Dry and I am so Thirsty!

The Front Range of Colorado is a Semi-Arid climate. By definition, a Semi-Arid climate receives between 10-20” of precipitation annually. With that said, our area is also ruled by prevailing winds arriving from the north-west. During the winter months, we receive very warm winds around December for several weeks called Chinook winds.

When our air is dry, windy or warm, with little to no precipitation, and low soil moisture and our area is known for temperature fluctuation it is time to really consider fall/winter watering. This is after your supplemental irrigation system has been winterized for the down season. We recommend fall/winter watering roughly November to March.

Trees and shrubs, and it depends on the species and the variety in the landscape, can be very susceptible to drought stress-especially for new/newer plant material, but also it predisposes all plant material to freeze injury/damage. It also damages the roots system. Majority of the feeder roots (roots the uptake the water and nutrients for the tree) are within the first 4-12 inches of soil. Freeze events that damage our urban landscapes can occur within a 12-36 hour period. These are the most injurious events and can be life determining and detrimental to a plant. Smaller plantings can be protected with burlap or frost freeze cloths, but what do you do with an 80’ American Elm or a 35’ Autumn Purple Ash? Our small to large trees and shrubs are impossible to cover. Best Management Practices are to ensure adequate watering and insect and disease management.

At Bailey Tree we recommend a once a month watering every 3-4 weeks if we do not receive at least 1” in precipitation. This can vary with our snow events as each event records a different level of moisture within that event. A rough gauge is 12” of snow = 1” of precipitation. This is not always the case. We had several events the winter of ’23-’24 where the precipitation content in our snow was extremely high and it was very wet. And we had a couple of systems where the snow was so dry, you could almost move your snow from your driveway with a simple leaf blower. Desired temperatures should be at around 50 degrees and above. A good layer of mulch (wood-based) 2-3” is always recommended to assist with retention of moisture retention and reduction of freeze/thaw and heaving. While rock is considered mulch, it does tend to create a heat island around plant material and dry out the soil.

For established and mature medium to larger trees

Colorado State University, as does Bailey Tree, recommends utilizing your garden hose with a sprinkler attachment and placing it in three pivot points under the tree/shrubs for around 15-20 minutes in each area. A deep root feeder hose attachment can also be used, however less feeder roots will be in the immediate area and this process can be more labor intensive and tedious. Denver Water recommends 10 gallons of water per Diameter Inch of Trunk. The Diameter Inch is measured at 4.5 feet above the ground. Established shrubs should receive 5-10 gallons of water 1-2 times per month. Larger, established shrubs 15-20 gallons 1-2 times per month.

Newer plantings do require more water than established plants. Depending upon the plant material, a good rule of thumb is to allow 3-4 years for tree and shrub establishment and two years for perennial establishment. For newer plantings of smaller shrubs/perennials should receive the water the same recommended gallons as above but 2-3 times a month. And it is beneficial to water/mist the foliage. Especially for plant material that is evergreen or broadleaf evergreen (such as boxwoods, arborvitae, yews, etc.).

For perennials 2-3 times a month for 10-15 minutes, particularly if they were end of summer or fall plantings. These plantings do not establish as readily as spring plantings, since they did not benefit from the full season of growth/root establishment.

Call Bailey Tree today for your free winter watering estimate! Let our technicians come out to your property to provide professional winter watering for your landscape! We will take the labor and guess work out of your hands to keep your landscape protected from our oftentimes harsh winters!

Why should I water my plants in the winter?
Root systems and their symbiotic fungal colonies remain actively growing over the winter and still require water.

Do some plants need winter watering more than others?
Yes, Coniferous trees are more active in winter months than deciduous trees and do require winter watering more often or at higher rates.  Trees in parking lot areas also require more wintertime watering.

Can plants absorb water from the snow?
Yes, but typically the snow in our high plains desert sublimates before it melts into the ground.  Our deep root watering methods gets the water directly to the root systems and avoids evaporation concerns.

Will my plants die if I don’t water in the winter?
It depends on the species of tree you have, and how long it’s been since it received a proper watering.

What’s the cost of winter watering?
Most of the cost for winter watering is just getting the truck and service crew to your location ($80-$100 depending on location), after that it’s typically $5-$10 per tree per application. An on site visit is always necessary to determine appropriate pricing and accessibility for our equipment and crews.

Do I need special equipment for winter watering in Denver?
The best way to do it is by using a high-pressure water pump and a ground penetrating spike that delivers the water about 5-8 inches underground at around 150-250 lbs of pressure.  This is exactly what we are setup for.