WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pinus pinaster, WUCOLS IV

How often to water cluster pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established cluster 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. Cluster pine, also called maritime pine, is a fast growing evergreen conifer from the western Mediterranean coast. It forms a tall, open crown on a long clear trunk. Its stiff needles reach 10 inches, and its woody cones hang on for years. It does best near the coast in well-drained soil, with deep soakings that keep it out of drought stress.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water cluster 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 cluster 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 6 inches down beneath the outer canopy of a young cluster pine signals that it needs a deep soak
  • Needles fading to yellow green across the crown during a dry summer can indicate drought stress
  • Pinkish brown to white pitch tubes on the lower trunk point to red turpentine beetles, which favor stressed trees
  • Fine boring dust and small holes oozing sap on the bark call for a beetle check and a soil moisture check
  • Yellowing needles over ground that stays soggy can indicate poor drainage around the roots

How to water it

  • Water a young cluster pine over its root ball and the soil beyond it, widening the ring as roots spread
  • Place water for an established tree around the outer canopy and beyond, not near the trunk
  • Soak slowly so water penetrates a foot or more, then let the soil dry before the next deep watering
  • Avoid frequent, shallow lawn style sprinkling, which wets the surface without reaching the roots
  • Leave fallen needles as mulch over the root area, clear of the trunk base

Through the seasons

Give a new cluster pine deep soakings through its first few summers while roots spread. Established trees benefit from deep, infrequent water in dry summers, since drought stress invites bark beetles. WUCOLS rates cluster pine moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley, and low water on the south coast. It marks South Inland, the high desert and the low desert as not suited to it. Winter rain usually covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley, so focus on the long dry season. It grows best near the coast.

In pots

Cluster pine seedlings are often kept in containers for a couple of years before planting out, but the tree soon needs open ground. Use a deep pot with open drainage holes and a sandy, well-drained mix. Check the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer heat, and water when it is dry at that depth. Let the excess drain away, then empty the saucer. Give the pot full sun. In winter, water lightly and only once the mix starts to dry.

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

Cluster 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 cluster 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 cluster 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 cluster 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 cluster pine in summer?

In July, established cluster 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 cluster pine need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates cluster 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.

What are the pinkish blobs of sap on my pine trunk?

Pinkish brown to white pitch tubes on the lower trunk are the work of red turpentine beetles. They rarely kill a tree on their own, but they signal stress. Check the soil under the outer canopy and soak deeply if it is dry.

Should I water a mature cluster pine?

In dry summers, a deep soak under the outer canopy helps it resist bark beetles. Skip frequent, shallow watering near the trunk. Let the soil dry between deep waterings.

How big does cluster pine get?

It grows fast to 65 to 100 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide, with an irregular, rounded crown. Plant it well away from buildings and wires. Widen the watered area as the crown spreads.

Do cluster pine cones fall?

Its woody brown cones, up to about 6 inches long, can stay on the tree for many years before dropping. Avoid planting directly over paths and patios. Rake fallen cones away from walkways.

Can you overwater a cluster pine?

Yes. It needs well-drained soil and does poorly in ground that stays wet, such as a frequently watered lawn. Water deeply, then let the soil dry before the next soak.

Can cluster pine grow by the ocean?

Yes. It comes from dry, sandy coastal soils in the western Mediterranean and grows best near the coast in California. It tolerates exposed, sunny sites.

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Sources