WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Malus spp.(edible), WUCOLS IV

How often to water apple in California

In July in the Central Valley, established apple in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. Apple trees are deciduous, with white, pink-tinged flowers in spring. They do best with deep, infrequent soakings that reach well below the surface rather than frequent light sprinkling. A tree given only shallow water develops shallow roots that struggle once summer heat sets in.

TreeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water apple, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for apple and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil still dry a foot or more down at an apple tree's drip line signals it needs a deep soak
  • Leaves wilting by afternoon and failing to recover by the next morning can indicate a young tree is short on water
  • Undersized or sunburned fruit through a dry summer can follow inconsistent soil moisture during fruit development
  • Shoot tips blackening and curling as if scorched point to fire blight rather than a watering problem
  • A trunk that stays damp at the base with yellowing leaves above can indicate root rot from waterlogged soil

How to water it

  • Water deeply so moisture reaches several feet down, rather than running sprinklers often for short periods
  • Apply water with a soaker hose, drip system or slow trickle across the root area beneath the canopy
  • Keep irrigation off the open flowers during bloom, since wet blossoms can spread fire blight
  • Plant in soil that drains well, avoiding low spots where water collects around the trunk
  • Widen the watered area outward as the canopy and root system grow

Through the seasons

A newly planted apple tree needs regular deep soakings while its roots spread into the surrounding soil. Established trees are deciduous, flowering in spring, fruiting through summer and dropping their leaves in fall before winter dormancy. Moisture during flowering and fruit development affects fruit size, while irrigation during bloom itself should stay off the open flowers to limit fire blight risk. Winter rain usually covers the dormant season across most of the state. WUCOLS rates apple moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast, in South Inland and in the high desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the low desert.

In pots

A dwarf apple on compact rootstock can live for years in a large container on a patio. Check the mix several inches down during California summer heat, since a pot dries faster than open ground and needs closer attention. Water slowly until it runs clear from the drainage holes, then empty the saucer so the dwarf tree's roots do not sit wet. Choose a sturdy, deep pot and repot every few years as roots fill the space. In winter, let the mix dry further between checks, since the bare, dormant tree draws on very little water until spring growth starts.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Apple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.780.74–
Feb0.530.650.810.870.93–
Mar0.871.091.151.31.46–
Apr1.181.521.41.611.89–
May1.462.081.611.952.39–
Jun1.612.481.742.292.85–
Jul1.612.671.982.513.04–
Aug1.492.391.862.332.79–
Sep1.241.81.491.862.14–
Oct0.871.181.151.331.46–
Nov0.470.560.840.90.93–
Dec0.310.340.650.680.65–
Year1217.1115.518.4121.27–

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like apple. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPersimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAmur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyNorway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyChinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than apple in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes apple, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water apple in summer?

In July, established apple in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does apple need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established apple needs about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for apple change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates apple separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

How deep should water reach for an apple tree?

Established trees want moisture several feet down, since their roots extend well below the surface in good soil. Frequent, shallow sprinkling keeps roots near the top where they dry out fast in summer heat. A soaker hose or drip system run long enough reaches that depth better than a quick sprinkle.

Why did my apple tree's new shoots turn black and look burned?

That scorched look is a classic sign of fire blight, a bacterial disease spread partly by water droplets during bloom. Avoid wetting open flowers with overhead irrigation in spring. Prune out infected wood well below the visible damage.

Does my apple variety need a set number of cold hours to fruit?

Yes, most apple varieties need a certain amount of winter chill below about 45 degrees to flower and fruit well. Coastal gardeners with mild winters should choose a low-chill variety. Chill hours are separate from how the tree is watered.

Can I grow apple in a small backyard with heavy clay soil?

Heavy clay that drains slowly raises the risk of root rot for apple trees. Planting on a raised mound or amending the soil before planting helps. Check that water does not pool around the trunk after irrigation or rain.

Why is my apple tree dropping fruit early?

Some fruit drop in early summer, called the June drop, is normal. Heavy fruit set without thinning adds to it. Thin to about one or two fruits per cluster after the June drop.

More plant watering guides

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Sources