WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cedrus libani, WUCOLS IV

How often to water cedar of Lebanon in California

In July in the Central Valley, established cedar of Lebanon 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. Cedar of Lebanon is a slow-growing evergreen conifer with broad, nearly horizontal branches and dark, furrowed bark, eventually forming a wide, flat-topped crown with great age. Native to mountain slopes in Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, it tolerates dry, rocky ground once its roots are established. Young trees still need steady moisture while that root system develops.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water cedar of Lebanon, 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 cedar of Lebanon 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 beneath an established cedar signals it needs a deep soak
  • Wilting new cedar shoots warrant a soil check before adding water
  • Water lingering around the cedar's trunk after irrigation signals unsuitable drainage
  • Poor growth under other trees calls for a light check, since cedar of Lebanon does not tolerate shade

How to water it

  • Water the soil beneath the wide, horizontal branches and a short distance beyond them
  • Soak the root zone deeply, then let the soil dry well before watering an established tree again
  • Use freely draining, rocky or sandy soil, since this cedar fares poorly where water collects
  • Keep mulch spread under the branch canopy, clear of the trunk, to conserve moisture while roots are young
  • Expand the watered area outward as the broad crown spreads with age

Through the seasons

Give a newly planted cedar of Lebanon steady moisture through its first several summers while its root system establishes. Mature cedars tolerate dry soil, but inland trees retain a moderate water rating and need summer soil checks. This conifer keeps its needles through winter, so continue moisture checks during dry spells even when growth is slow. Winter rain can cover the cool months across its rated zones. WUCOLS rates it low water on the north-central coast and the south coast. It rates moderate water in the Central Valley and South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

While a young cedar of Lebanon remains in a nursery pot, prepare a permanent site with space for its broad crown. Check the mix a few inches down during California summer heat, since potting mix dries faster than the rocky, well-drained soil this cedar prefers. Water until it drains through the holes, then empty the saucer so roots are not left standing in it. Give the pot full sun and room for branches to spread horizontally. In winter, water only once the mix has dried, since this evergreen's growth slows in cool weather.

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

Cedar of Lebanon: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.310.78––
Feb0.210.650.320.87––
Mar0.351.090.461.3––
Apr0.471.520.561.61––
May0.582.080.641.95––
Jun0.642.480.692.29––
Jul0.642.670.792.51––
Aug0.62.390.742.33––
Sep0.51.80.61.86––
Oct0.351.180.461.33––
Nov0.190.560.330.9––
Dec0.120.340.260.68––
Year4.817.116.218.41––

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 cedar of Lebanon. 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 cedar of Lebanon 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 cedar of Lebanon, 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 cedar of Lebanon in summer?

In July, established cedar of Lebanon in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 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 cedar of Lebanon need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established cedar of Lebanon 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 cedar of Lebanon change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates cedar of Lebanon separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not evaluated 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.

How drought tolerant is a mature cedar of Lebanon?

A mature cedar tolerates dry soil. It has low water ratings on the coast. The Central Valley and South Inland ratings are moderate water. Give a newly planted tree attentive root-ball checks while it establishes.

Why is my cedar of Lebanon growing so slowly?

Growth is naturally slow, especially during the first twenty years. Check the soil before adding irrigation simply to encourage height, since this cedar needs drainage as well as moisture.

Can cedar of Lebanon grow in clay soil?

Yes, it can grow in clay if the site drains well. Choose a raised position where water would otherwise collect around the roots.

Why are the lower branches dying on my older cedar?

Do not assume dying lower limbs are a normal feature of an older cedar. Healthy mature trees can retain branches that sweep the ground. Inspect the affected branches and soil before changing irrigation.

Does cedar of Lebanon need different water in a desert climate?

WUCOLS has not evaluated this species for the high or low desert, so there is no established rating for those zones. Extreme heat and aridity there differ greatly from its native mountain climate. Consider a tree with a known desert rating instead.

What do cedar of Lebanon cones look like?

Its seed cones stand upright on the branches and have a barrel-like shape. They turn reddish brown as they mature over about two years.

More plant watering guides

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Sources