WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Toona sinensis (Cedrela sinensis), WUCOLS IV

How often to water Chinese toon in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Chinese toon 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 toon is a tree in the mahogany family that can grow 65 feet tall and 30 feet wide with an oval, spreading form. Small flowers hang in clusters in spring, and star-shaped seed capsules follow that look like wooden roses. It spreads by suckers and seed into stands if left alone, and it is often cut back to keep it shrubby.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Chinese toon, 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 toon 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 a foot down around a young Chinese toon in its first summer means it is time for a slow soak
  • Leaves wilting through the afternoon on a young tree in heat can signal thirst
  • Many shoots coming up around the base are suckers, not a water problem
  • Yellowing leaves in soggy, poorly drained soil point to too much water

How to water it

  • Water a young tree deeply, letting the soil dry between soakings
  • Give established trees only occasional deep water in long dry spells
  • Plant in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil
  • Remove suckers and seedlings to keep it from forming a stand
  • Cut it back if you want a shorter, shrubby shape

Through the seasons

Water a young tree regularly through its first summers. Established trees need only occasional deep soaks in most zones, with more steady water in the hot Central Valley. It flowers in spring, sets its woody, rose-like capsules, and drops its leaves in fall. WUCOLS rates Chinese toon low water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. The Central Valley carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Chinese toon can grow in a large container, which also stops its suckers from spreading. Use a well-drained mix in a heavy pot. Water when the top few inches are dry, until water flows from the holes. In summer, check every few days. Never let it sit in water. Cut it back each year to keep the size in check. In winter, while it is bare, water rarely.

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

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.310.31––
Feb0.210.650.320.35––
Mar0.351.090.460.52––
Apr0.471.520.560.64––
May0.582.080.640.78––
Jun0.642.480.690.92––
Jul0.642.670.791––
Aug0.62.390.740.93––
Sep0.51.80.60.74––
Oct0.351.180.460.53––
Nov0.190.560.330.36––
Dec0.120.340.260.27––
Year4.817.116.27.37––

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 toon. 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 Chinese toon 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 toon, 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 toon in summer?

In July, established Chinese toon 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 22 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 toon need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates Chinese toon 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, low 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.

Does Chinese toon spread?

Yes, it spreads by suckers and by seed and can form stands if left alone. Remove suckers and seedlings as they appear. A pot contains it.

How big does Chinese toon get?

It can reach 65 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Many gardeners cut it back to keep it shorter. It can be grown as a large shrub.

What soil does Chinese toon need?

It adapts to many soil types and any pH. It prefers moist, well-drained soil. Avoid soggy spots.

What do Chinese toon seed pods look like?

The fruit is a star-shaped capsule that resembles a wooden rose. It follows the spring flowers. Pick pods to reduce seedlings.

Can Chinese toon be a street tree?

It can be used as a shade, specimen or street tree. Its suckering needs control. Give it deep water in hot zones.

More plant watering guides

Japanese DogwoodMountain DogwoodChocolate CosmosGolden MargueriteFalse HeatherKashmir CypressKenilworth IvyPinks and Carnations

Sources