WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Malus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert), WUCOLS IV

How often to water apple trees in California

In July in the Central Valley, established apple trees in loam need a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. Apple trees carry a crop from bloom to harvest, then stand bare through winter. Steady moisture helps the fruit size well, while severe dry spells can affect the crop before leaves look damaged. Water should reach the roots beneath the canopy without leaving the trunk in soggy ground.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water apple trees, 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 trees 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 dry 8 to 12 inches down beneath the canopy can signal that an established apple needs a deep soak
  • New shoot tips drooping by midmorning over dry soil can indicate water stress while apples are developing
  • Dull leaves with dry brown edges can accompany a tree running short during fruit sizing
  • Small apples can reflect water shortage or a heavy unthinned crop, so check both soil moisture and fruit load
  • Yellow leaves falling over persistently wet ground can indicate waterlogging around apple roots

How to water it

  • Water beneath the apple canopy and beyond the branch tips while keeping the trunk and crown dry
  • Soak about 2 to 3 feet down beneath an established apple, checking penetration between emitters across its spreading root zone
  • Use a ring of drip emitters or a slow hose in a basin to keep leaves and fruit dry
  • Spread coarse wood chips beneath the canopy, leaving a clear gap around the trunk
  • Expand emitter coverage as the tree grows, and pause irrigation if heavy ground stays saturated

Through the seasons

Keep a newly planted apple's root ball evenly moist during its first summer, then widen the watered area as roots spread. Established trees need deeper, less frequent soakings. Apples lose their leaves in fall, and irrigation matters most from bloom through fruit sizing. Ease back as weather cools after harvest. Coastal and Central Valley rain usually supplies dormant trees; check desert soil through dry winter spells. WUCOLS rates apples moderate water in all six zones. Its low-desert taxon note names the low-chill variety Anna.

In pots

A dwarf apple on a small rootstock can grow in a large container, where its crop depends on a limited supply of moisture. Check the top two inches of mix often in summer heat and water when dry. Let excess water escape through the drainage holes, then empty the saucer. During winter dormancy, check through dry spells and keep the mix barely damp. Move the pot out of constant rain if it stays saturated.

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.780.740.78
Feb0.530.650.810.870.930.93
Mar0.871.091.151.31.461.52
Apr1.181.521.41.611.891.95
May1.462.081.611.952.392.45
Jun1.612.481.742.292.852.79
Jul1.612.671.982.513.042.85
Aug1.492.391.862.332.792.6
Sep1.241.81.491.862.142.08
Oct0.871.181.151.331.461.49
Nov0.470.560.840.90.930.96
Dec0.310.340.650.680.650.68
Year1217.1115.518.4121.2721.08

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 trees. 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 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 JulyItalian AlderAlnus cordatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than apple trees 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 trees, 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 trees in summer?

In July, established apple trees in loam need 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 do apple trees need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established apple trees need 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 trees change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates apple trees 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, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

How do I water a newly planted apple tree?

Feel the original root ball and the surrounding soil separately. The small root ball can dry faster than the ground beside it. Water that area first and expand coverage as roots move outward.

How long should I run drip on an apple tree?

Check how deeply and widely water moves in your soil before setting a run time. A full-size tree needs coverage over more ground than a dwarf. Probe away from the emitter after watering to see whether the soak reached beyond the surface.

Do small apples mean I should water more?

Check the crop load as well as moisture. A heavily laden tree can produce small apples even with enough water. Thin crowded clusters before assuming extra irrigation will solve the problem.

Why is my apple tree dropping fruit?

Some late-spring shedding is normal. Later losses can follow moisture swings, but inspect fallen apples for holes and reddish brown frass from codling moth. Fruit drop alone does not identify a watering fault.

Should I water after picking the apples?

Continue soil checks while leaves remain and the tree is rebuilding reserves. Reduce irrigation as autumn cools, and skip it when rain has moistened the roots. Harvest itself is not a signal to leave the tree bone dry.

More plant watering guides

Garden MonkshoodRed BuckeyeRed HorsechestnutCarpet BugleItalian AlderBlack AlderWestern ServiceberrySnowdrop Windflower

Sources