WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Acer truncatum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Chinese maple in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Chinese maple 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. Chinese maple, also called Shantung maple, is a deciduous tree from China that grows 20 to 25 feet tall with a dense, rounded crown. Its leaves have five lobes and a square-cut base, which gives the tree its botanical name. It is heat tolerant and grows in average, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade, and its modest size makes it a fine small shade or street tree.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Chinese maple, 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 Chinese maple 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 several inches under the mulch in summer tells you Chinese maple needs a long drink
  • Leaf edges browning in hot weather can follow dry soil
  • Leaves falling before fall color arrives can mean the tree went too dry
  • Pale, limp leaves in ground that stays wet suggest the roots are short of air

How to water it

  • Run a slow hose or a ring of emitters out under the crown edge
  • Let each watering soak in deeply, then wait for the upper soil to dry
  • Plant in full sun to part shade in average, well-drained soil
  • Spread wood chips over the roots, leaving a gap at the trunk
  • Water more often in hot inland summers

Through the seasons

Give a newly planted tree regular summer water for its first few years. Established trees need steady deep soaks through the dry months, and the hottest inland gardens call for the most water. In autumn the foliage turns yellow, orange and red before it falls. WUCOLS rates Chinese maple moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. In South Inland it carries a high water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

A young Chinese maple can grow in a large, heavy container for a few years before planting out. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches dry, and keep going until it drains from the base. In summer, check every couple of days, since a pot in sun dries fast. Do not let it stand in water. Through the leafless months, add water only once the mix has dried.

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
1.02.03.04.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC1.02.03.04.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Chinese Maple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–1.24––
Feb0.530.65–1.39––
Mar0.871.09–2.08––
Apr1.181.52–2.58––
May1.462.08–3.12––
Jun1.612.48–3.67––
Jul1.612.67–4.02––
Aug1.492.39–3.72––
Sep1.241.8–2.98––
Oct0.871.18–2.13––
Nov0.470.56–1.44––
Dec0.310.34–1.09––
Year1217.11–29.46––

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 Chinese maple. 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 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 Chinese maple 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 Chinese maple, 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 Chinese maple in summer?

In July, established Chinese maple in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley and about every 5 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 Chinese maple need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Chinese maple 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 Chinese maple change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Chinese maple 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 suited to this region in the South Coastal zone, high water 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 Chinese maple a good street tree?

Its small size makes it a good shade tree for smaller yards and a street tree under utility lines. It has a dense, rounded crown. Water street trees deeply in summer.

Does Chinese maple have good fall color?

Yes, its five-lobed leaves turn yellow, orange and red. The tree is bare in winter. Its spring flowers are not showy.

How big does Chinese maple get?

It grows 20 to 25 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. It stays compact for a shade tree. It suits small yards.

Does Chinese maple tolerate heat?

Yes, it is heat tolerant once established. In hot inland areas it still needs regular deep water. Mulch helps.

What problems affect Chinese maple?

It has no serious problems. Its leaves feed moth larvae, which makes it useful in a pollinator garden. Deep, steady watering keeps it vigorous.

More plant watering guides

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Sources