WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Quercus fusiformis, WUCOLS IV

How often to water escarpment live oak in California

In July in the Central Valley, established escarpment live oak 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. Escarpment live oak is a sturdy, spreading oak from savannas and rocky hills of Texas, Oklahoma and northeastern Mexico. It looks much like southern live oak, with smaller, leathery leaves that curl under at the edges, and it handles drought, heat and cold better. It is prone to root rot, so deep, spaced soakings suit it far better than ground kept wet.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water escarpment live oak, 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 escarpment live oak 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

  • In its first summers, a young escarpment live oak needs a slow soak once the soil beside its root ball is dry 4 inches down
  • Scorched or dull leaves in July heat can be heat stress, so check the soil before adding water
  • Heavy leaf drop in late winter or early spring, as new growth pushes out, is normal for this oak and not a sign of thirst
  • Mushrooms at the trunk base, or dark bark near soil that stays wet, point to root rot rather than thirst
  • Spotted leaves are usually leaf spot disease, which extra water will not fix

How to water it

  • Water a young escarpment live oak over its root ball and a ring beyond it, moving the wet area outward as the canopy spreads
  • Run water slowly until it reaches deep into the root zone, then let the soil dry well down before the next soak
  • Keep sprinklers and drip off the trunk and the soil right around it, since this oak is prone to root and crown rot
  • Plant in sun or part shade, in loam, sand or clay, and avoid low spots where water stands after rain
  • Let the fallen leaves stay as mulch under the canopy, with lawn and thirsty beds kept outside the drip line

Through the seasons

Give a new escarpment live oak deep soakings through its first two or three summers, widening the wet area as its roots spread. Established trees need water less often, but always deeply. The tree keeps most of its leaves through winter, then sheds them in late winter or early spring as new growth and small flowers appear. Acorns ripen in fall or winter. WUCOLS rates it moderate water in the Central Valley and on the south coast, where winter rain covers the cool months. It rates low water in the high desert, where dry winter spells call for soil checks. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the north-central coast, South Inland or the low desert.

In pots

Escarpment live oak is a tree for the ground, and nursery trials found it tricky to transplant. Keep a young tree in a deep container only until it can be planted out, before its roots circle the pot. Check the mix 2 to 3 inches down every few days in summer, and daily in Central Valley heat. Water until it drains from the holes, then empty the saucer so the roots do not stand in water. In winter, let the mix dry more between soakings, and check it during long dry spells.

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

Escarpment Live Oak: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan–0.40.78–0.3–
Feb–0.650.81–0.37–
Mar–1.091.15–0.58–
Apr–1.521.4–0.76–
May–2.081.61–0.95–
Jun–2.481.74–1.14–
Jul–2.671.98–1.22–
Aug–2.391.86–1.12–
Sep–1.81.49–0.86–
Oct–1.181.15–0.58–
Nov–0.560.84–0.37–
Dec–0.340.65–0.26–
Year–17.1115.5–8.51–

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 escarpment live oak. 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 escarpment live oak 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 escarpment live oak, 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 escarpment live oak in summer?

In July, established escarpment live oak in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley and about every 11 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 escarpment live oak need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established escarpment live oak 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 escarpment live oak change across California?

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

Is escarpment live oak the same as southern live oak?

They are close relatives that look nearly alike, and some botanists treat escarpment live oak as a variety of southern live oak. Escarpment live oak has slightly smaller leaves and better tolerance of drought, heat and cold. WUCOLS rates the two separately, so use the ratings for the tree you have.

Does escarpment live oak lose its leaves?

It is semi-evergreen. Old leaves hang on through winter and fall once fresh shoots emerge, toward the end of winter or early in spring. Rake heavy drifts off drip lines so emitters keep working.

Why does my escarpment live oak have several trunks?

Many young trees grow naturally multi-trunked, and in the wild it ranges from a thicket-forming shrub to a large tree. Train a young tree early if you want a single trunk. Pick the strongest leader and remove competing stems over a few seasons.

Will escarpment live oak roots damage paving?

Its root damage potential is rated moderate. Plant it in a space more than 7 feet wide, well back from walks, drives and foundations. A mature crown can spread as wide as 50 feet, so give it room.

What pests and diseases affect escarpment live oak?

Watch for insect galls, leaf spot, Armillaria root rot, Phytophthora and oak wilt. It resists verticillium wilt. Soil that stays wet around the trunk favors root and crown rot, so keep irrigation off the trunk.

Can escarpment live oak grow in poor soil?

Yes. It tolerates poor soil, which makes it a reliable city tree, and it grows in loam, sand or clay. Its salt tolerance is rated moderate.

More plant watering guides

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Sources