Here is a look at when to water trees in the fall and when not to.

What you are trying to avoid here is causing spurts of new growth that will not be winter-hardy.

Such non-hardy growth is more likely to be damaged if you have cold weather suddenly sweep into your region.

Ginkgo biloba tree branches covered with fall leaves.

David Beaulieu

This should be done before the ground freezes.

If you were to wait until after the ground freezes, the frozen-solid soil would act as a barrier.

Apply Water to the “Dripline”

You should be watering your trees around whatarboristscall the dripline.

The dripline is the perimeter of the widest part of the canopy.

To find the dripline, stand under your tree and look up into its canopy.

Move so as to position yourself directly under the outer edges of that canopy.

You are now standing on a portion of the circle that makes up the dripline.

Create Moist Soil

The all-important feeder roots reside mainly in the uppermost one foot of thesoil.

So your goal in watering a tree is to moisten this top foot of soil in the dripline area.

You want to water enough that the soil ends upmoist, not soggyso as not to over-water the tree.

it’s possible for you to use products specifically designed totest your soilfor moistness.

Water that percolates down lower than that will go unused and is therefore wasted.