WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cedrus deodara & ssp. & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water deodar cedar in California

In July in the Central Valley, established deodar cedar in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 19 gallons a week. Deodar cedar is a fast-growing evergreen conifer from the western Himalayas, with soft blue-green needles on branches that sweep downward at the tips. A young tree needs steady moisture while its roots spread into the surrounding soil. Established trees handle long dry stretches well, and ground that stays soggy near the trunk invites root trouble rather than better growth.

TreeShrubRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water deodar cedar, 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 deodar cedar 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 to 8 inches down at the edge of a young deodar cedar's root ball signals it needs a deep soak
  • Sparse deodar shoots or dull needles call for a moisture check beneath the surface
  • Puddles remaining beside the cedar after watering warn that drainage may be inadequate
  • Declining foliage over wet soil warrants a root-health check, since deodar is susceptible to root rot

How to water it

  • Water a young deodar cedar across its full root ball and the soil just beyond it
  • Soak the ground a foot or more deep, then let the top several inches dry before the next watering
  • Use drip emitters or a slow soaker hose rather than frequent overhead sprinkling
  • Keep mulch a few inches back from the trunk while covering the wider root area
  • Move irrigation outward as the lowest branches spread and the canopy widens

Through the seasons

A newly planted deodar cedar needs steady moisture through its first several summers while its wide root system develops. This conifer holds its needles year round and settles into deep, spaced-out soakings once established, drawing on stored soil moisture through the dry season. Inspect unusual needle loss rather than assuming it is seasonal or caused by thirst. Winter rain usually covers the cool months on the coast and in the valley. WUCOLS rates deodar cedar low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. It rates moderate water in South Inland and the high desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the low desert.

In pots

While a young deodar cedar is still in its nursery pot, keep room around its drooping branches and prepare the planting site. Check beneath the mix surface during California heat, especially if the container stands near a sunlit wall. Irrigate slowly until water escapes below, then drain the saucer. During cooler winter weather, check moisture before adding more water. This cedar tolerates some dryness but needs freely draining roots.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.780.74–
Feb0.210.260.320.870.93–
Mar0.350.430.461.31.46–
Apr0.470.610.561.611.89–
May0.580.830.641.952.39–
Jun0.640.990.692.292.85–
Jul0.641.070.792.513.04–
Aug0.60.950.742.332.79–
Sep0.50.720.61.862.14–
Oct0.350.470.461.331.46–
Nov0.190.220.330.90.93–
Dec0.120.140.260.680.65–
Year4.86.846.218.4121.27–

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 low water in the Central Valley, like deodar cedar. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive 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 JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria 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 JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low 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 deodar cedar, 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 deodar cedar in summer?

In July, established deodar cedar in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 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 deodar cedar need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established deodar cedar needs about 2.7 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 11 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 deodar cedar change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates deodar cedar separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water 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.

How do I water a newly planted deodar cedar?

Check the nursery root ball separately from the soil just beyond it during the first two summers. Expand the soaked area outward as new roots spread into native ground. A deep, infrequent soak serves this tree better than frequent light watering.

Can deodar cedar handle California heat?

Deodar tolerates heat, but its water rating rises to moderate in South Inland and the high desert. Watch a young tree closely during hot weather. The low desert is marked not suited by WUCOLS.

Why are the lower branches touching the ground?

Deodar cedar naturally keeps its lower limbs as it ages, and they often droop until they rest on the soil. This habit does not reflect a watering problem. Prune them only if the look or the space is unwanted.

Does deodar cedar need irrigation once it is mature?

Many established trees get by on infrequent deep soakings outside the wettest winter months. Soil, sun exposure and how the tree was raised all affect how often that is needed. Check the ground before assuming it is due.

Why is my deodar cedar dropping needles in fall?

Needle loss alone does not establish whether a deodar needs water. Check soil moisture and inspect remaining foliage for damage, since this tree can develop root rot and insect problems.

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Sources