WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pinus nigra ssp & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water Austrian black pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Austrian black pine 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. Austrian black pine is a stout conifer that grows pyramidal when young and rounds into a broad dome as it matures. It adapts to clay soil, wind and some drought once its roots are established. A newly planted tree still needs steady moisture while that root system develops.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Austrian black pine, 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 Austrian black pine 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 several inches down at the edge of a young pine's root ball signals it needs a deep soak
  • Heavy needle loss on Austrian black pine warrants checking moisture and inspecting for blight or insect damage
  • Browning shoot tips with resin or dead branch ends can point to a fungal tip blight favored by wet spring weather
  • Yellow Austrian black pine needles above soggy soil call for checking drainage and inspecting the roots
  • Established trees holding steady through a dry summer are normal for this species once settled in

How to water it

  • Water a young Austrian black pine across its full root ball and the soil just beyond it
  • Let the top several inches of soil dry before watering an established tree again
  • Water at the drip line with drip emitters or a slow hose instead of wetting the needles
  • Plant in well-drained soil and avoid low spots where water collects after storms
  • Widen the watered area outward each year as the crown broadens with age

Through the seasons

Give a newly planted Austrian black pine regular soakings through its first two summers while roots establish in the surrounding ground. Established trees tolerate dry spells and need less frequent watering as the root system matures. This conifer stays evergreen year round, and wet conditions in spring can favor fungal tip blight on stressed trees. WUCOLS rates it moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, in South Inland and in the high desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the south coast or the low desert. Winter rain can cover part of the cool season on the coast and in the Central Valley, while desert sites need checks through dry winter spells.

In pots

A standard Austrian black pine becomes a large tree, so plan a permanent site for a potted sapling and check any cultivar's mature size. Check the top two to three inches of mix often during California heat and water when dry there. Let water drain fully through the holes, then empty the saucer so roots do not sit wet. In winter, water less often as growth slows, but do not let the root ball dry out completely.

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

Austrian Black Pine: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–0.780.74–
Feb0.530.65–0.870.93–
Mar0.871.09–1.31.46–
Apr1.181.52–1.611.89–
May1.462.08–1.952.39–
Jun1.612.48–2.292.85–
Jul1.612.67–2.513.04–
Aug1.492.39–2.332.79–
Sep1.241.8–1.862.14–
Oct0.871.18–1.331.46–
Nov0.470.56–0.90.93–
Dec0.310.34–0.680.65–
Year1217.11–18.4121.27–

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 Austrian black pine. 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 Austrian black pine 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 Austrian black pine, 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 Austrian black pine in summer?

In July, established Austrian black pine in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley 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 Austrian black pine need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Austrian black pine 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 Austrian black pine change across California?

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

Why are the shoot tips on my Austrian black pine turning brown?

Resinous, dying shoots can be associated with Diplodia tip blight, which spreads in wet late-winter and spring weather. Confirm the problem before pruning, then remove affected wood when the plant is dry. Avoid splashing foliage during irrigation and maintain adequate root-area moisture.

How do I water a newly planted Austrian black pine?

Soak the root ball and the soil just beyond it rather than only the planting hole. The ball itself can dry out faster than the surrounding bed in the first year. Expand coverage as roots grow outward.

Is Austrian black pine tolerant of clay soil?

Austrian black pine tolerates clay as well as other soil textures. The site still needs drainage, so check how long water remains after rain or irrigation. Needle yellowing alone does not establish that drainage is the cause.

Can Austrian black pine handle coastal wind and salt?

It tolerates wind and some salt exposure reasonably well once established. A coastal planting may still need extra checks during dry, windy stretches. Choose a planting site with that exposure in mind from the start.

Why does my pine shed so many needles in fall?

Austrian black pine keeps its needles for up to four years, so it eventually sheds older foliage. The location and extent of needle loss matter more than the season alone. Inspect unusual losses for moisture stress, blight or insects before deciding they are harmless.

More plant watering guides

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Sources