How often to water toog in California
In July on the south coast, established toog in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 35 gallons a week. Toog, also called bishopwood, is a fast-growing tropical evergreen or semi-evergreen tree with shiny, bronze-toned leaves divided into three leaflets. Small berries hang in heavy clusters and drop in quantity. It tolerates a wide range of soils, from wet to well-drained, but it forms large surface roots that can lift paving.
How often to water toog, month by month
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.
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.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry 6 inches down under the canopy tells you a young toog is ready for a deep soak
- Leaves dropping heavily during a dry spell can show drought stress on this semi-evergreen tree
- Sticky leaves and black sooty mold point to scale insects, which can infest this tree severely
- Roots heaving up through lawn or paving can show where shallow watering keeps them near the surface
- Yellowing leaves and dieback in ground that stays soggy can point to root rot
How to water it
- Water toog slowly across the area under its canopy so the soil is wetted deeply, not just the surface
- Soak the soil 18 to 24 inches down, then let the upper several inches dry
- Plant it at least 6 feet from sidewalks and drives, since its surface roots can lift pavement
- Mulch the root zone with wood chips, leaving the trunk clear
- Move irrigation outward as this fast grower widens its canopy
Through the seasons
Water a new toog regularly through its first summers while roots spread. Established trees have moderate drought tolerance and still need deep soakings in long dry spells. The tree keeps most of its leaves in mild winters, and new growth has a bronze tone. Fruit clusters drop in quantity, so plan for cleanup. Coastal winter rain usually covers the cool months. WUCOLS rates toog moderate water on the south coast. South Inland has not been evaluated. WUCOLS marks toog as not suited to the north-central coast, the Central Valley, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Toog grows fast and large, so a container is only a short-term home for a young tree. Use a deep pot with drainage holes and a loamy mix. Check 2 to 3 inches down every few days in summer and water when dry, then empty the saucer. It is frost tender, so move a potted tree to shelter when cold nights are forecast. Plant it out well before the roots circle the pot.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Toog as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Toog: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | – | – | 0.78 | – | – | – |
| Feb | – | – | 0.81 | – | – | – |
| Mar | – | – | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Apr | – | – | 1.4 | – | – | – |
| May | – | – | 1.61 | – | – | – |
| Jun | – | – | 1.74 | – | – | – |
| Jul | – | – | 1.98 | – | – | – |
| Aug | – | – | 1.86 | – | – | – |
| Sep | – | – | 1.49 | – | – | – |
| Oct | – | – | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Nov | – | – | 0.84 | – | – | – |
| Dec | – | – | 0.65 | – | – | – |
| Year | – | – | 15.5 | – | – | – |
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 not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like toog. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Sugar MapleAcer saccharumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Queensland KauriAgathis robustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
CherimoyaAnnona cherimolanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Purple Orchid TreeBauhinia variegata (purpurea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Clustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
White SapoteCasimiroa edulisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
FilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Spotted GumCorymbia maculata (Eucalyptus maculata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Dove TreeDavidia involucratanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Royal PoincianaDelonix regianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Triangle PalmDypsis decaryinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Mountain White GumEucalyptus dalrympleananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Rainbow EucalyptusEucalyptus degluptanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Roxburgh FigFicus auriculatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Indian BanyanFicus benghalensisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Weeping Chinese BanyanFicus benjaminanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes toog, 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 much water does toog need per day?
In July on the south coast, established toog needs about 5.0 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 20 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 toog change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates toog separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated 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.
Is toog invasive?
In Florida it is planted only with caution because it can escape cultivation. Its many berries drop and can sprout nearby, so pull seedlings early.
Why are toog roots lifting my sidewalk?
Its roots can grow large near the surface and heave paving within 5 to 6 feet of the trunk. Deep soakings with drying between them encourage roots to grow down. Plant new trees farther from paving.
What is the black coating on my toog leaves?
That is sooty mold growing on honeydew from scale insects, which can infest this tree heavily. Control the scale and the mold fades. It is not a watering problem.
How cold can toog take?
It is a tropical tree suited to frost-free climates. Frost can damage the leaves and young trees, so protect young plants on cold nights.
Can you overwater toog?
It tolerates wet soil better than many trees, but root rot is still its main disease. Let the upper soil dry between deep soakings.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Bischofia javanica, the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf