WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Zelkova serrata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water sawleaf zelkova in California

In July in the Central Valley, established sawleaf zelkova 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. Sawleaf zelkova, also called Japanese zelkova, is a large, fast-growing deciduous shade tree in the elm family. It has small, sharply toothed leaves and a graceful vase shape when young. Its bark peels in patches to show a mosaic of colors. Fall color runs from yellow to orange, red or burgundy, and it is a tough tree that still needs deep summer soakings.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water sawleaf zelkova, 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 sawleaf zelkova 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 6 inches down under the canopy of a young zelkova signals that it needs a deep soak
  • Crown dieback or bark cracks on a street or parking lot tree point to stress from a hot, paved site
  • Fine stippling on the leaves in hot, dry weather points to spider mites
  • Leaves rolled and tied with silk point to leafrollers, not a lack of water
  • Yellowing leaves over soil that stays soggy point to poor drainage, since it needs well-drained ground

How to water it

  • Water a young zelkova slowly at the edge of its root ball so moisture spreads outward into native soil
  • Apply enough water to reach 18 inches to 2 feet, letting the upper few inches dry between soakings
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil with room for a canopy up to 65 feet wide
  • Mulch the root zone generously, especially near hot pavement
  • Move irrigation outward as the vase-shaped crown widens with age

Through the seasons

Give a young zelkova deep, regular soakings for its first two or three summers, until its roots reach well into native soil. Established trees handle dry spells better, but they still need deep summer water in most rated zones, especially on hot street sites. Leaves emerge in spring, and fall color comes before leaf drop. Rain usually covers the leafless months on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates sawleaf zelkova moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and in South Inland. It rates moderate water in the high desert and the low desert as well, and low water on the south coast.

In pots

Sawleaf zelkova grows quickly into a large tree, so a container suits it only while it is a young sapling. Check the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer and water until it drains through, then empty the saucer. A small pot in full sun dries fast and may need water daily in a heat wave. After leaf fall, water sparingly until the buds break in spring. Plant it out before the roots circle the pot.

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
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Sawleaf Zelkova: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.310.780.740.78
Feb0.530.650.320.870.930.93
Mar0.871.090.461.31.461.52
Apr1.181.520.561.611.891.95
May1.462.080.641.952.392.45
Jun1.612.480.692.292.852.79
Jul1.612.670.792.513.042.85
Aug1.492.390.742.332.792.6
Sep1.241.80.61.862.142.08
Oct0.871.180.461.331.461.49
Nov0.470.560.330.90.930.96
Dec0.310.340.260.680.650.68
Year1217.116.218.4121.2721.08

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like sawleaf zelkova. 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 sawleaf zelkova 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 sawleaf zelkova, 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 sawleaf zelkova in summer?

In July, established sawleaf zelkova in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 9 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 sawleaf zelkova need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates sawleaf zelkova separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water 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.

Why is my zelkova's bark peeling?

Peeling bark is normal and one of its best features. Patches flake away to show a mosaic of colors beneath. It is not a sign of thirst or disease.

How big does sawleaf zelkova get?

It can reach 50 to 80 feet tall and nearly as wide, vase-shaped when young and more open with age. Give it a large space, and plan its watering zone around the mature canopy.

Is zelkova a good street tree?

It is widely planted on streets and tolerates pollution, but trees in hot, paved sites can show crown dieback and bark cracks from stress. Deep soakings and a mulched root zone help. Give it as much open soil as possible.

What fall color does zelkova have?

Fall color varies from tree to tree, from yellow and orange to red and burgundy. The color comes just before the leaves drop.

Do zelkova roots damage sidewalks?

Its roots tend to grow deep, which lowers the chance of sidewalk damage, though its root damage potential is still rated moderate. Deep, infrequent soakings help keep roots growing down rather than at the surface.

More plant watering guides

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Sources