WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pinus muricata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water bishop pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established bishop 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. Bishop pine is a fast-growing California native pine with long, dark green needles, deeply furrowed gray bark and lopsided, spiny cones. It grows wild on the coast and in coastal mountains, from forest to chaparral, often on dry, rocky soil. It does best near the ocean, makes a good seaside tree and needs water its first summer.

TreeCalifornia nativeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water bishop 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 bishop 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

  • Dry soil 6 inches down at the root ball edge in its first summer tells you a young bishop pine needs a deep soak
  • Needles browning at the tips on an inland tree in summer heat can show it needs more water than coastal trees
  • Older needles yellowing and dropping in fall is normal for pines and not a call for water
  • Yellowing across the crown in soil that stays wet points to poor drainage around the roots

How to water it

  • Water a young bishop pine slowly around the root ball and just beyond, keeping the trunk dry
  • Wet the soil 18 inches down, then let it dry several inches before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun in sandy or average soil that drains well
  • Leave fallen needles as mulch over the root area, away from the trunk
  • Taper irrigation after the first summer near the coast, and widen the soaker ring inland where it needs more help

Through the seasons

Water a new bishop pine through its first summer so the roots establish. Near the coast, established trees then need less help, while inland trees need some summer water. The tree is evergreen and grows quickly. Winter rain covers the cool months along the coast and in the Central Valley. Bishop pine carries a moderate water rating from WUCOLS in the Central Valley and on the north-central coast. Its south coast rating is low water. South Inland, the high desert and the low desert are all marked not suited to it.

In pots

Bishop pine grows fast, so a seedling should go into the ground within a season or two. Use a deep pot with drainage holes and a sandy, free-draining mix. Check 2 inches down every few days in summer and water when that layer is dry. Let excess drain away and empty the saucer. In winter, rain often keeps a pot moist enough, so check the mix before adding water.

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
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.31–––
Feb0.530.650.32–––
Mar0.871.090.46–––
Apr1.181.520.56–––
May1.462.080.64–––
Jun1.612.480.69–––
Jul1.612.670.79–––
Aug1.492.390.74–––
Sep1.241.80.6–––
Oct0.871.180.46–––
Nov0.470.560.33–––
Dec0.310.340.26–––
Year1217.116.2–––

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 bishop 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 bishop 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 bishop 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 bishop pine in summer?

In July, established bishop pine in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley and about every 27 days on the south coast. 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 bishop pine need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates bishop 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, low water in the South Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region 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.

Is bishop pine a good tree for the coast?

Yes. It grows wild along the California coast, does best there and makes a good seaside tree. Near the ocean it needs less summer water than inland.

Can bishop pine replace Monterey pine?

It is often suggested in place of Monterey pine for a screen or windbreak. It grows fast and stays dark green. Water it through the first summer like any new pine.

How fast does bishop pine grow?

It is a fast grower, often reaching 40 feet or more. Plant it with room to spread, and move irrigation outward as the canopy widens.

Can bishop pine grow inland?

It can, but it needs some summer water away from the coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to South Inland, so choose another pine there.

Can you overwater bishop pine?

Yes. It grows naturally on dry, rocky soils, and roots kept wet can decline. Let the soil dry several inches down between soakings.

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Sources