WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pinus torreyana, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Torrey pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Torrey 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. Torrey pine is a rare California native that grows wild only in the fog belt of coastal San Diego County and on Santa Rosa Island. In gardens it reaches about 25 to 40 feet with an open, irregular crown and deeply furrowed, reddish brown bark. Long needles cluster near the upturned branch tips. It does best near the coast, in sandy, well-drained soil.

TreeCalifornia nativeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Torrey 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 Torrey 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

  • Torrey pine needles holding firm and green through a dry summer show it has enough water
  • Needles browning at the tips while the soil is dry deep down mean a young tree needs a soak
  • Yellowing needles on soil that stays wet point to overwatering and poor drainage
  • New shoots wilting on a young tree in inland heat call for a deep drink

How to water it

  • Water a young tree deeply at the drip line, then let the soil dry well
  • Plant in full sun to part shade in sandy, well-drained soil
  • Taper to rare deep soaks once it is established near the coast
  • Give steadier summer soaks in South Inland heat
  • Keep lawn sprinklers off the trunk and root crown

Through the seasons

Water a young tree through its first few dry seasons until roots go deep. Established trees near the coast are drought tolerant with little or no care. Inland, summer heat calls for more water. It is evergreen, and winter rain covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates Torrey pine low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. South Inland carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Torrey pine is a large tree, but a seedling can grow in a deep container for a few years. Use a sandy, fast-draining mix. Water when the top couple of inches dry, then let it drain fully. In summer, check every few days. Empty the saucer. Plant it out before roots circle the pot, since a pine resents a cramped root ball. In winter, water only when the mix dries.

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
0.631.31.92.50.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.631.31.92.50.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.78––
Feb0.210.260.320.87––
Mar0.350.430.461.3––
Apr0.470.610.561.61––
May0.580.830.641.95––
Jun0.640.990.692.29––
Jul0.641.070.792.51––
Aug0.60.950.742.33––
Sep0.50.720.61.86––
Oct0.350.470.461.33––
Nov0.190.220.330.9––
Dec0.120.140.260.68––
Year4.86.846.218.41––

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 Torrey 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 Torrey 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 Torrey pine in summer?

In July, established Torrey pine in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 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 Torrey pine need per day?

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

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

Where does Torrey pine grow wild?

Only two wild stands remain, one near San Diego and one on Santa Rosa Island. It grows in dry, sandy soils in the coastal fog belt. Coastal sage scrub and strand surround it.

How big does Torrey pine get?

In gardens it grows to about 25 to 40 feet tall and wide. The crown is open and irregular. Give it room on all sides.

Can Torrey pine take cold?

One nursery saw cold stress at about -2 degrees F. It does best near the coast, in the fog belt it calls home. Harsh desert climates do not suit it.

Is Torrey pine drought tolerant?

Near the coast it handles drought with little or no care once established. Young trees still need deep soaks. In South Inland it needs more summer water.

Is Torrey pine good for coastal plantings?

Yes, it is best along the coast. It can stand in for Canary Island pine in coastal plantings. Plant it in sandy, well-drained soil.

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Sources