WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Acer platanoides, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Norway maple in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Norway maple 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. Norway maple is a dense, broad-crowned shade tree with maple leaves that turn gold before falling in autumn. Its shallow, spreading roots pull moisture mostly from the top layer of soil rather than deep down. It tolerates some drought, but California ratings still call for moderate water in three regions and high water in South Inland.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Norway maple, 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 Norway maple 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 drip line of a Norway maple signals it needs a deep soak
  • Brown margins or wilted maple leaves call for a soil check rather than an automatic soak
  • Runoff from already damp ground beneath the maple signals that irrigation should pause
  • Thin, patchy lawn or bare soil under a mature canopy reflects root competition rather than a lack of water

How to water it

  • Water a Norway maple broadly beneath its canopy rather than in one spot near the trunk
  • Wet the soil evenly to about a foot deep, then wait for the surface to dry before watering again
  • Use drip lines or a soaker hose spread across the root zone instead of a narrow stream
  • Mulch the area under the canopy to slow evaporation from the shallow roots
  • Push the watered zone outward year by year to keep pace with the widening canopy and roots

Through the seasons

A newly planted Norway maple needs regular watering through its first couple of summers while roots establish in the surrounding soil. This deciduous tree leafs out in spring, grows through summer and drops its leaves in fall, with water mattering most during that growing stretch. Established trees still draw steadily on topsoil moisture rather than coasting through a dry season. Winter rain usually covers the dormant months where this tree is rated. WUCOLS rates Norway maple moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. It rates high water in South Inland. WUCOLS marks the high desert and the low desert as regions where it is not suited.

In pots

If a Norway maple is waiting in a nursery container, check root growth and plan a site large enough for its spreading canopy. Feel the mix near the surface often in California summer heat, since a crowded root ball dries out fast in full sun. Water slowly until it runs from the drainage holes, then tip out the saucer so the roots are not left standing in water. Plan to move it into open ground before the roots circle the container. Cut back on watering in winter, but do not let the mix dry out completely.

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
1.02.03.04.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC1.02.03.04.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Norway Maple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.781.24––
Feb0.530.650.811.39––
Mar0.871.091.152.08––
Apr1.181.521.42.58––
May1.462.081.613.12––
Jun1.612.481.743.67––
Jul1.612.671.984.02––
Aug1.492.391.863.72––
Sep1.241.81.492.98––
Oct0.871.181.152.13––
Nov0.470.560.841.44––
Dec0.310.340.651.09––
Year1217.1115.529.46––

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 Norway maple. 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 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 JulyItalian AlderAlnus cordatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Norway maple 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 Norway maple, 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 Norway maple in summer?

In July, established Norway maple in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 5 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 Norway maple need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates Norway maple 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, high 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.

How do I water a newly planted Norway maple?

Check the nursery root ball along with the soil just beyond it through the first two summers. Widen the soaked area with the canopy to cover the tree's shallow root system. Established trees still need that broad root zone kept from drying out completely.

Why is grass thin under my Norway maple?

Dense shade and competing surface roots make planting beneath Norway maple difficult. Adding irrigation does not remove the shade or root competition. Consider a mulched area where turf fails.

Can Norway maple tolerate a dry summer?

It has some drought tolerance, but that does not make it a low water choice in California. Its ratings are moderate water in the coastal regions and Central Valley. South Inland has a high water rating. Check moisture through the dry season.

Does Norway maple need different care in South Inland heat?

Hotter inland summers push this tree toward its higher end of water need there. Check soil moisture more often than you would along the coast. A thick layer of mulch helps the shallow roots hold moisture longer.

Why are my Norway maple leaves scorched at the edges?

Scorched leaf margins alone do not identify a watering fault. Check the soil across the shallow root area, and seek a diagnosis if browning spreads despite suitable moisture. Norway maple is susceptible to Verticillium wilt.

More plant watering guides

Serbian BellflowerCurly Top SedgeEuropean HornbeamBean TreeMadagascar PeriwinkleButtonbushKatsura TreeEastern Redbud

Sources