WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pinus ponderosa, WUCOLS IV

How often to water ponderosa pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established ponderosa 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. Ponderosa pine is the tall, long-lived pine of western mountain forests and a California native. It has long needles in bundles of three and thick, orange-brown, plated bark. A deep taproot makes it drought tolerant once established. It needs full sun and deep, well drained soil, and it will not tolerate flooding or poor drainage.

TreeCalifornia nativeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water ponderosa 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 ponderosa 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 young ponderosa pine needs a deep soak once the soil beside its root ball is dry 4 to 6 inches down
  • Needles losing their dark yellow-green color during a long drought can point to water stress
  • Many small pitch tubes along the trunk point to bark beetles, which target drought-stressed pines
  • Yellowing needles and a thinning crown over waterlogged soil point to root rot, since it cannot stand poor drainage
  • Resin oozing from pruning cuts or wounds can mean Sequoia pitch moth larvae rather than thirst

How to water it

  • Water a young tree deeply over and around the root ball until it establishes, then taper off sharply
  • Once established, give only an occasional deep soak around the outer canopy during long dry spells
  • Plant in full sun in deep, well drained soil, away from low spots that flood
  • Spread a thick layer of mulch over the root zone to help a young tree through dry summers
  • Keep lawn sprinklers off the trunk, and avoid needless pruning wounds that invite pitch moths

Through the seasons

Water a new ponderosa pine through its first two or three dry seasons, then cut back to rare, deep soakings. Established trees are drought tolerant thanks to the deep taproot. In the dry summers of drought years, an occasional deep soak at the canopy edge helps them resist bark beetles. This evergreen holds its needles all year, and winter rain covers the cool months in the north and the valley. WUCOLS rates ponderosa pine very low water on the north-central coast and low water in the Central Valley and South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Ponderosa pine grows a deep taproot and soon outgrows a pot, so plant a seedling out while it is small. Use a deep container with a gritty mix. Check the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer and water when it is dry. Water until it drains through, then empty the saucer, since the roots must never sit wet. A pot in full sun dries fast, so watch it closely in heat waves. In winter, rain usually covers it.

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
0.270.540.801.10.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.270.540.801.10.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.040.16–0.31––
Feb0.050.26–0.35––
Mar0.090.43–0.52––
Apr0.120.61–0.64––
May0.150.83–0.78––
Jun0.160.99–0.92––
Jul0.161.07–1––
Aug0.150.95–0.93––
Sep0.120.72–0.74––
Oct0.090.47–0.53––
Nov0.050.22–0.36––
Dec0.030.14–0.27––
Year1.26.84–7.37––

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 low water in the Central Valley, like ponderosa 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 ponderosa 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 ponderosa pine in summer?

In July, established ponderosa pine in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley 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 ponderosa pine need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates ponderosa pine separately for each of the six California climate zones: very low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region 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.

How can I tell ponderosa pine from Jeffrey pine?

Squeeze a cone. Ponderosa cones are prickly, while Jeffrey pine cones feel gentler in the hand. The two trees look very similar and are often confused.

Does an established ponderosa pine need summer water?

In normal years it needs little, since it is drought tolerant. During a long drought, a deep soak around the outer canopy helps it fend off bark beetles.

Why is my ponderosa pine oozing pitch?

Resin at pruning cuts or wounds often comes from Sequoia pitch moth larvae. Many small pitch tubes along the trunk point to bark beetles instead. Avoid needless pruning and keep the tree free of drought stress.

Is ponderosa pine good for a home yard?

It suits large properties and parks best, since it can top 100 feet. Plant it well away from buildings. Expect it to drop its lower branches as it ages.

How long does ponderosa pine live?

It can live for centuries, up to about 600 years. A tree with that life span is worth careful watering through its first dry seasons.

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Sources