WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Eriobotrya japonica, WUCOLS IV

How often to water loquat in California

In July in the Central Valley, established loquat 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. Loquat is an evergreen tree with large, leathery, deeply veined leaves that stay glossy through the year. Fragrant white flowers open in fall or early winter, followed months later by clusters of orange fruit. It does best in mild climates and needs good drainage.

TreeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water loquat, 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 loquat 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 beneath the canopy signals a loquat needs a deep soak
  • Leaves that lose their glossy sheen and curl at the edges can follow a dry root zone in summer heat
  • Yellowing leaves over soil that stays wet for days, especially in heavy or compacted ground, point to waterlogged roots
  • A young tree that wilts by midday and does not recover by evening needs a soil check rather than a guess

How to water it

  • Water young loquats across the full root ball, extending a little beyond it as roots spread
  • Apply water slowly with drip or a soaker hose so it soaks into the soil around and beneath the canopy
  • Spread mulch under the canopy, keeping it clear of the trunk, to slow evaporation from the root zone
  • Improve drainage in heavy soil before planting, since standing water at the roots invites trouble
  • Widen the irrigated area outward each year as the canopy and root spread grow

Through the seasons

Give a young loquat steady moisture through its first several summers while roots spread under the canopy. This evergreen keeps its leaves year round, so even established trees need an occasional soil check through the warm months, especially while fruit develops in spring. Winter rain can cover the cool months on the coast and in the valley, while South Inland and low desert plantings need checks between storms. WUCOLS rates it low water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. It rates moderate water on the south coast and in the low desert. It rates very low water in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert.

In pots

Loquat can grow for years in a large pot, or trained against a wall or trellis, before it outgrows the space. Its broad, leathery leaves lose moisture quickly on a hot patio, so check the mix several inches down through California heat and water once it dries there. Soak until water runs from the drainage holes, then tip out the saucer so the roots do not sit wet. Check more closely during long dry spells, since a container dries faster than open ground. In winter, ease off and let the surface dry further between waterings.

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
0.711.42.12.90.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.711.42.12.90.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Loquat: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.780.08–0.78
Feb0.210.260.810.09–0.93
Mar0.350.431.150.13–1.52
Apr0.470.611.40.16–1.95
May0.580.831.610.2–2.45
Jun0.640.991.740.23–2.79
Jul0.641.071.980.25–2.85
Aug0.60.951.860.23–2.6
Sep0.50.721.490.19–2.08
Oct0.350.471.150.13–1.49
Nov0.190.220.840.09–0.96
Dec0.120.140.650.07–0.68
Year4.86.8415.51.84–21.08

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 loquat. 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 loquat, 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 loquat in summer?

In July, established loquat in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about once a month or less 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 loquat need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates loquat separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, very low water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

When do loquat flowers and fruit appear?

This evergreen tree blooms in the cooler part of the year, then holds its developing fruit through winter and into spring. Ripening typically finishes by late spring into summer, months after the first flowers opened. That long gap between bloom and harvest spans the rainy season into drier spring weather.

Should I thin loquat fruit clusters?

Thinning heavy fruit clusters lets the remaining fruit grow larger and keeps limbs from breaking. Do this once clusters have set rather than waiting until fruit nears full size.

Can loquat handle low desert heat?

WUCOLS rates it moderate water there, but its broad evergreen leaves lose moisture quickly in dry desert heat. Check soil more closely than you would on the coast, especially during fruit development. A site with some afternoon shade can ease the strain.

Why do my loquat leaves look dull and curled?

Check the soil beneath the canopy before assuming a pest or disease problem. A dry root zone in hot weather is a common cause of dull, curling leaves on this tree. A deep soak that reaches well past the surface usually brings back the glossy sheen.

Can I train loquat against a fence?

Yes, loquat can be trained against a fence or trellis. Choose a position with sun or partial shade and soil that drains well.

More plant watering guides

Honey MesquiteCanyon Live OakMesa OakOregon White OakHolly OakValley OakCork OakShrub Live Oak

Sources