How Often To water fruit trees in a pot

Following this guide, you will know when to water your fruit trees, how often to water, how much water to use, and understand the signs to look for that you are overwatering or underwatering your fruit tree. If you need more advise on how to grow fruit trees in pots check out this article.

Why Watering Matters for Potted Fruit Trees

Making sure your fruit trees are watered correctly is vital to ensure their long-term health. Not enough water will cause your fruit tree to wilt, limit nutrient availability, and, in the worst case, kill your tree. Too much water and your fruit tree will get root rot and be more susceptible to diseases and fungus.

A tree in the ground will have roots that are expansive, going deeper and wider into the soil, having access to more water reserves below the ground that heat and wind won’t be able to easily evaporate.

Potted fruit trees, on the other hand, will have much more limited soil due to the size of the pot and the more denser root systems inside these pots reducing the space for soil. Once the soil in a pot has dried out, it has no access to additional water outside the pot. The sun will also warm up any surface area it touches, and with pots, there is a lot of surface area to hit, so this will cause evaporation to increase. As well as the sun, wind will dry out pots quickly, due to moisture being pulled from the soil surface, increasing evaporation. Certain materials, pots are made from like terracotta, are naturally more porous, which makes the pots dry out quicker in a process called ‘wicking”.

How Often To Water Your Fruit Tree in Each Season

Spring

When spring springs, plants are coming back to life after their winter dormancy. During this time, they’ll start to get thirsty as they push out their new season’s growth and begin to form flowers.

• Water twice a week during dry, warm weeks.

Summer

Summers hit, and your fruit tree should be producing more fruit than you can eat. Start ramping up the watering, the days are getting hot!

• Watering should be done at least 3 times a week, during hot, dry, and windy weeks, this could increase to daily watering.

Autumn

The temperature has begun to cool, days are getting shorter, and your fruit tree has finished setting its last fruits. Time to slow down your watering!

• Water 2-3 times a week at the start of Autumn, reducing this to 1-2 times near the end.

Winter

Time for your fruit tree to take a rest! It’s been a long season of producing fruits and growth; your fruit tree will go dormant during this time.

• Water once a week, making sure the soil is drying out between waterings.

How Pot Size, Soil Type, Positioning, and Sun Exposure Change Watering Needs

The aspects will play a big role in how often you need to water your fruit trees. A plant in full western sun is going to be warming up and drying out faster than a plant on a sheltered patio getting the much more forgiving morning sun.

In the same way as the sun, plants on an open, windy top-floor balcony will dry out faster from evaporation as moisture is pulled away from plant foliage and from the soil directly. Where a plant in a sheltered courtyard won’t have the same issues.

Having a bigger pot will also reduce watering needs, as the more soil there is, the more moisture it can hold. You can read more here to understand the optimal pot size for your fruit tree.

How to Check If Your Fruit Tree Needs a Drink

Since the aspects of your fruit tree can make a big difference, it’s worth knowing how to check if your plant needs a drink.

The first method is the finger test. Simply push your finger down into the soil. If the top layers of soil are still wet, it won’t need a drink yet.

The next way to check is using a moisture meter, similar to the finger test, where it will tell you how wet or dry your soil is through direct contact, but these can reach further down. This is important as the top layer of the soil can be dry, but there might still be lots of moisture further down the pot.

The final method, which is my personal preference if the pots are not too heavy, is the weight test. To do this, first lift the pot right after a full watering. This is to set the baseline of how heavy the pot is when it’s fully watered. Next, lift the pot when you know it’s dry, giving you the baseline weight when it needs water. After this, to check if you need to water your plant, simply lift the pot and feel how heavy it is. If it’s light, give it some water; if it’s still heavy, it won’t need water yet – simple!

How Much Water to Use When Watering

When watering your fruit trees, use approximately a quarter of the pot volume. For example, if your plants are in a 50L pot, use 12L of water. If you have a 100L pot, use 25L of water.

Add the water slowly, using a watering can with a rosette, or a hose with a nozzle on the shower setting. Make sure you don’t add water so quickly that it goes above the lip of the pot, as this will take the lighter soil off the top and run out with the water.

Best Time of the Day to Water Your Fruit Trees In Pots

The time you water your plants can make a difference to your plant’s health. Watering in the morning is the best time, before the day gets hot as it:

• Reduces evaporation
• allows time for your plant to rehydrate before the hot day ahead
• Wet foliage will dry quickly as the sun rises, reducing fungal issues that thrive in wet conditions.
• Reduces pest activity like slugs and snails that love wet conditions overnight

Although watering in the morning is the most optimal time, that doesn’t mean if you can’t water in the morning, you shouldn’t water at all. The second-best time to water is when you can. If your plant is showing signs of stress from lack of water, don’t wait until the morning; water it now!

Common Mistakes People Make When Watering (or not watering!) Their Plants

One common mistake people make when watering their plants is watering often with small amounts of water. Small amounts of water will only penetrate the top layer of soil, meaning plants won’t build strong, deep root structures to reach water lower down. It is much more beneficial to plants to water less often with larger amounts of water, making sure to hydrate all the soil from the top to the bottom.

Another mistake is watering too heavily, using a hose without an attachment, or a watering can with no rosette. This water will hit the soil hard, causing soil erosion, which can expose roots and cause stress.

Not realising your soil is hydrophobic is another common mistake for many pot gardeners. If your soil becomes so dry that there is no moisture left, once you water it again, the water doesn’t bind to the particles; it just runs straight through, making you think you’ve soaked your soil when it’s not holding on to any of it. If your soil becomes hydrophobic, you can place the pot in a saucer of water, so it has time to absorb, rehydrating the soil. You can also use a soil wetter; this is a chemical that helps water rebind to the soil easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

I overwatered my plant. Is it going to die?

• Overwatering your plant once isn’t going to kill your plant, but regular overwatering can cause root issues and disease. There are fungicides you can use to help fight root rot, and products like Seasol can help recover a plant from overwatering.

What time of day should I water my plants?

• The most optimal time to water your plants is in the morning, just before or as the sun rises.

I want to go on holiday in the summer, can I just not water?

• Younger plants with smaller roots will dry out quickly and will struggle to survive; more established plants can go longer without water. If you’re going away for longer than a few days, it’s worth calling in the help of a friend to drop in and give your plants a soak while you’re away.

Should I water my fruit trees every day in Summer?

• Yes, most fruit trees will need daily watering in summer. It may be every 2 days during cools weeks.

My plant is dropping leaves. Should I water more?

• If your foliage is drooping, turning brown and dry, and dropping leaves, then this is a sign of underwatering. But be careful, leaves drooping and being a soft yellow are signs of overwatering. If you aren’t sure, it’s best to check the soil to see if it’s dry.

How do I stop my plant from drying out so quickly?

• There are moisture crystals you can add to your soil to hold moisture for longer. Different types of pots can also cause soil to dry out quickly, as well as using the incorrect soil mix that does not hold enough moisture. To make sure you are using the correct potting mix, check out this guide.