Trees in Rock Beds Need Winter Water Too: A Dry-Spell Guide for Andrews and Seminole
In Andrews and Seminole, the sprinklers usually get shut off once the lawn goes tan. That makes sense for the grass, but trees are a different story. Pines, junipers, and other evergreens keep losing moisture through their needles all winter, and even leafless shade trees keep living roots in the soil. When we go weeks without rain and the wind keeps blowing, the soil under those trees can get bone dry, and that is when winter damage starts.
Local tip: give trees a deep winter drink
Water during long dry spells. If it has been about three to four weeks without a good rain or snow, plan a deep watering for your trees, even in December and January.
Pick a mild day and water early. Choose a day when it is above freezing and not expected to freeze until night. Water in late morning or midday so it soaks in before temperatures drop.
Water slow and deep at the drip line. Most feeder roots spread out under the edge of the canopy and beyond, not right at the trunk. A soaker hose or a slow-running hose moved around the drip line works better than a quick spray.
Check the soil first. Push a long screwdriver into the ground under the canopy. If it will not go in more than a few inches, the soil is dry and the tree needs water.
Do not forget rock beds. Rock and gravel beds look low-maintenance, but they heat up on sunny afternoons and dry out the soil underneath. Trees planted in xeriscape beds often get the least water of anything in the yard.
Why it matters now
Moist soil holds heat better than dry soil, so watering ahead of a hard freeze helps protect roots. Roots sitting in dry ground through a cold snap are more likely to be injured, and that damage often does not show up until spring, when a tree leafs out thin or an evergreen turns brown on one side. Winter drought stress also leaves trees weaker going into the hot, dry months, when borers and other pests look for struggling trees.
A little planning in November is much easier than trying to bring back a stressed tree next summer. Mark the calendar, keep a hose where you can reach it, and watch the forecast for dry, windy stretches.
What Tejas does
Our licensed technicians can walk your property, look at the trees in your lawn and rock beds, and point out the ones showing signs of stress, like thinning canopies, browning needles, or dry, compacted soil. Depending on what we find, we can recommend tree treatments such as soil injections, trunk injections, or borer and mite treatments, and we will give you honest watering tips for your trees and soil. Andrews and Seminole customers are served from our Andrews yard at 2184 SE 2460.
Learn more about tree treatments in Andrews and Seminole, or see all of our tree services.
Call or text Tejas
Call or text 432-934-5248 to set up a winter tree check in Andrews, Seminole, or nearby towns.
Tejas Pest and Weed Control · Andrews yard: 2184 SE 2460, Andrews, TX · 432-934-5248 · office@tejaspwc.com
