WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Tilia cordata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water little leaf linden in California

In July in the Central Valley, established little leaf linden 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. Little leaf linden is a dense, pyramidal shade tree with small heart-shaped leaves and clusters of fragrant pale flowers that draw bees in early summer. It grows best in loamy soil that stays evenly moist and does not take well to severe or prolonged drought. Leaf scorch can occur at unsuitable planting sites, so assess the soil and exposure when foliage browns.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water little leaf linden, 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 little leaf linden 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 several inches down at the drip line of an established linden signals it needs a deep soak
  • Leaf edges browning and curling during a hot, dry spell can indicate the root zone has dried out
  • Early leaf loss from a linden calls for checking soil moisture and inspecting the canopy for pests
  • Sparse, pale foliage over soil that never seems to dry can indicate waterlogged roots
  • Sticky linden foliage with black residue warrants looking for aphids and other honeydew-producing insects

How to water it

  • Water a young linden over its full root ball, then widen the soaked area as the canopy spreads
  • Soak established trees deeply at the drip line rather than giving light surface sprinkles
  • Use drip emitters or a slow hose rather than overhead sprinklers to limit leaf wetting
  • Mulch beneath the canopy to buffer soil temperature and slow moisture loss in summer heat
  • Work compost into heavy soil at planting time so water penetrates instead of pooling at the surface

Through the seasons

A newly planted little leaf linden needs consistent moisture through its first couple of summers while its root system spreads into surrounding soil. Established trees leaf out in spring, flower in early summer, and drop their leaves in fall after turning a pale yellow. This species does not tolerate severe drought, so watering matters most through the growing season rather than only during obvious wilting. Winter rain typically covers the cool season on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. WUCOLS rates little leaf linden moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to South Inland, the high desert and the low desert.

In pots

Little leaf linden can reach 50 to 60 feet, so choose a permanent garden site if starting with a potted sapling. Check the mix several inches down during California summer heat, since container soil dries faster than ground soil. Water until it runs freely from the drainage holes, then empty whatever collects in the saucer. If leaf edges scorch, check the root ball and the pot's exposure before adding water. After winter leaf fall, let moisture checks determine when another watering is needed.

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

Little Leaf Linden: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.78–––
Feb0.530.650.81–––
Mar0.871.091.15–––
Apr1.181.521.4–––
May1.462.081.61–––
Jun1.612.481.74–––
Jul1.612.671.98–––
Aug1.492.391.86–––
Sep1.241.81.49–––
Oct0.871.181.15–––
Nov0.470.560.84–––
Dec0.310.340.65–––
Year1217.1115.5–––

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like little leaf linden. 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 little leaf linden 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 little leaf linden, 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 little leaf linden in summer?

In July, established little leaf linden 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 little leaf linden need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established little leaf linden 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 little leaf linden change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates little leaf linden separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate 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.

Why do my linden's leaves scorch every summer?

Leaf scorch can develop when little leaf linden is planted in an unsuitable street site. Check root-area moisture and whether the planting space provides enough draining soil. Avoid assuming that every scorched tree simply needs a larger soak.

Does little leaf linden tolerate drought once mature?

Severe drought is a poor fit for little leaf linden, which prefers moist, draining loam. Water during dry spells when soil checks show that moisture is running low. This remains a moderate water tree in its suitable California regions.

Why are my linden leaves sticky and covered in black residue?

Aphids feeding on the leaves excrete a sticky substance that sooty mold then grows on. This is a pest issue rather than a sign of thirst or overwatering. Address the aphids separately from your watering routine.

Can little leaf linden grow as a street tree in California?

Choose street sites cautiously: restricted or unsuitable locations can leave this linden stunted and prone to leaf scorch. WUCOLS includes the Central Valley among its moderate water regions. South Inland and both desert regions are rated not suited, so extra watering does not make them appropriate planting areas.

Why is my linden dropping leaves early in late summer?

Premature leaf loss needs investigation rather than an automatic increase in watering. This linden dislikes both severe drought and wet soil, and several pests can damage its foliage. Check those possibilities and seek a diagnosis if leaf loss continues.

More plant watering guides

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Sources