WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pinus sabiniana, WUCOLS IV

How often to water foothill pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established foothill pine in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy. Foothill pine, also called gray pine, is a fast-growing California native of the dry Sierra foothills and inner coast ranges. Its long, drooping, gray-green needles form an open, see-through crown that casts light shade. Large, heavy cones hold big edible seeds. It is very drought tolerant and grows in full or part sun on most well-drained soils.

TreeCalifornia nativeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water foothill 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 foothill 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

  • A first-year foothill pine with ground dry 2 feet below the surface out past its needles is due for a long soak
  • Heavy needle drop from a newly planted tree in its first hot summer suggests the root ball dried out
  • Resin blobs or fine sawdust on the bark mean bark beetles are attacking a weakened tree
  • Pale new shoots over damp, airless soil near the trunk point to too much water

How to water it

  • Water a young tree in a broad ring far from the trunk with a slow soaker
  • Soak deeply, then let the soil dry thoroughly before the next soak
  • Plant in full or part sun in well-drained soil, away from lawns
  • Stop regular irrigation once the tree is established
  • Prune off lower branches if you want to garden beneath its light shade

Through the seasons

Water a young foothill pine deeply a few times through its first summer or two. After that, it is very drought tolerant and native rainfall carries it. It is evergreen and fast-growing, reaching about 45 feet in 15 years. Along the north-central coast, through the Central Valley and down the south coast, WUCOLS gives foothill pine a very low water rating. South Inland is listed one step higher, as low water. Both deserts are a poor fit: WUCOLS marks the high desert and the low desert not suited.

In pots

Foothill pine is a large native tree and should go in the ground young. A seedling can grow briefly in a deep, tall pot of gritty mix. Water when the mix is dry several inches down, and let every drop drain away. A small pot can dry fast on a hot patio, so look at it often. Never leave water in the saucer. Plant it out while it is still small, since its roots grow quickly.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
0.27gal per sq ft in JulyVery low water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
1.71 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.250.500.751.00.04JAN0.07FEB0.11MAR0.15APR0.21MAY0.25JUN0.27JUL0.24AUG0.18SEP0.12OCT0.06NOV0.03DEC0.250.500.751.00.04JFM0.15AMJ0.27JAS0.12OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 0.27 in Jul, 1.71 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Foothill Pine: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.040.040.080.31––
Feb0.050.070.080.35––
Mar0.090.110.110.52––
Apr0.120.150.140.64––
May0.150.210.160.78––
Jun0.160.250.170.92––
Jul0.160.270.21––
Aug0.150.240.190.93––
Sep0.120.180.150.74––
Oct0.090.120.110.53––
Nov0.050.060.080.36––
Dec0.030.030.070.27––
Year1.21.711.557.37––

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 very low water in the Central Valley, like foothill pine. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Oak TreesQuercus agrifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySalt CedarTamarix aphyllavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyPearl AcaciaAcacia podalyriifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyMexican Palo VerdeParkinsonia aculeatavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyInterior Live OakQuercus wislizenivery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue OakQuercus douglasiivery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyNuttall's Scrub OakQuercus dumosavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia BuckeyeAesculus californicavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyTree of HeavenAilanthus altissimavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyOleanderNerium oleander ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyAgaveAgave americana (and thick-leaved relatives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCactusOpuntia spp. & cvs. (CA natives and non-natives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySpanish BroomSpartium junceumvery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBig SagebrushArtemisia tridentatavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia PoppyEschscholzia californicavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Scrub OakQuercus berberidifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 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 foothill 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 foothill pine in summer?

In July, established foothill pine in loam needs a deep watering about once a month or less in the Central Valley, about once a month or less 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 foothill pine need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established foothill pine needs about 0.7 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 2.7 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 foothill pine change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates foothill pine separately for each of the six California climate zones: very low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, very low water in the Central Valley zone, very low water in the South Coastal zone, low 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.

Why is it called the see-through pine?

Its gray-green needles are long and open, so you can see through the crown. It casts light shade. Plants can grow beneath it.

Are foothill pine seeds edible?

Yes, the large seeds inside its heavy cones are edible. Indigenous people gathered them. Wear gloves when handling the heavy cones.

How fast does foothill pine grow?

It grows fast, to about 45 feet in 15 years, and slowly reaches 75 feet over a very long life. Plant it where it has room. Keep it away from buildings.

What plants grow well under foothill pine?

Native companions such as blue oak, buckbrush, yerba santa and manzanita suit it. Choose drought tolerant plants that like light shade. Avoid irrigated beds beneath it.

Is foothill pine native to California?

Yes, it grows on dry slopes of the Sierra Nevada foothills and inner coast ranges around the Central Valley. It suits native, unirrigated gardens. It is very drought tolerant once established.

More plant watering guides

Parry's AgaveOleanderAgaveCactusOak TreesSpanish BroomSalt CedarPearl Acacia

Sources