WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pinus wallichiana, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Himalayan pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Himalayan pine 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. Himalayan pine is a broad, graceful conifer with long, soft, drooping blue-gray needles and banana-shaped cones up to about 10 inches long. Grown in the open, it keeps its spreading lower branches. It wants moist but well drained, slightly acidic soil and shelter from strong wind.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Himalayan 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 Himalayan 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 3 to 4 inches down at the root ball edge of a young Himalayan pine means it is time for a deep soak
  • Needle tips yellowing or browning across the crown during a hot, dry spell can point to a dry root zone
  • Needles discolored on the windward side after strong winter winds show wind burn rather than a watering fault
  • Yellowing needles over soggy, heavy soil point to poor drainage around the roots
  • Yellow flecks across the needles of the cultivar 'Zebrina' are its normal coloring, not a stress sign

How to water it

  • Water a young pine slowly over the root ball and a ring of soil beyond it
  • Soak to roughly 18 inches deep, and hold off until the top few inches have dried
  • Plant in moist but well drained, slightly acidic loam, away from spots where water stands
  • Choose a site sheltered from strong wind, where the long needles and wide branches are not battered
  • Mulch under the low, spreading branches and keep moving emitters outward as the crown widens

Through the seasons

Keep a new Himalayan pine evenly moist through its first two summers while its roots spread. Established trees need deep summer soakings during long dry spells, with the soil drying a few inches between them. This evergreen grows slowly, and winter winds can discolor its needles, so a sheltered spot helps all year. Rain from fall into spring usually covers its needs on the coast and in the valley. WUCOLS rates Himalayan pine low water in the Central Valley, and moderate water on the north-central coast and on the south coast. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the low desert, South Inland or the high desert.

In pots

Himalayan pine transplants best when small, so keep a young tree in its container only briefly. The dwarf form 'Nana' can live in a large pot. Feel the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer, and do not let it dry out completely. Soak until water exits the drainage holes, then empty the saucer. Shelter the pot from hot afternoon sun and strong wind. In winter, rain may be enough, so check the mix before adding more.

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
0.490.991.52.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.490.991.52.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.160.78–––
Feb0.530.260.81–––
Mar0.870.431.15–––
Apr1.180.611.4–––
May1.460.831.61–––
Jun1.610.991.74–––
Jul1.611.071.98–––
Aug1.490.951.86–––
Sep1.240.721.49–––
Oct0.870.471.15–––
Nov0.470.220.84–––
Dec0.310.140.65–––
Year126.8415.5–––

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 Himalayan pine. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

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 Himalayan 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 Himalayan pine in summer?

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

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

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

Why are my Himalayan pine needles brown in winter?

Strong winter winds can discolor the needles, most often on the exposed side. Plant young trees in a sheltered spot. Check the soil as well, and water if it is dry a few inches down.

Do I need to prune a Himalayan pine?

No regular pruning is needed. If two leaders compete at the top, remove the weaker one. Leave the low branches, which are part of its natural shape.

How big are Himalayan pine cones?

They are long and banana-shaped, up to about 10 inches. They hang from the branches before they fall. Clear fallen cones off drip lines so the emitters keep working.

Can I move a Himalayan pine?

Move it only while it is small, since young trees transplant best. Water a moved tree deeply and keep its root ball moist through the first summer.

Is Himalayan pine the same as blue pine?

Yes. It is also called blue pine and Himalayan white pine. Some nurseries sell it under the older name Pinus griffithii.

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Sources