WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Podocarpus totara, WUCOLS IV

How often to water totara in California

In July in the Central Valley, established totara 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. Totara is a long-lived evergreen conifer from New Zealand with stiff, leathery, yew-like leaves. It is conical when young, then spreads, usually reaching 25 to 30 feet in gardens. Its reddish-brown bark peels in flakes as the trunk thickens. It wants sun, a sheltered spot and fertile, moist but well-drained soil, with regular water.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water totara, 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 totara 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 inches down beneath the canopy in summer means a young totara is ready for a deep soak
  • New growth stalling or browning at the tips in a long hot, dry spell suggests the roots have gone too dry
  • Yellowing foliage over soil that stays soggy points to poor drainage, since totara needs moist but well-drained ground
  • Bark peeling off in flakes on an older trunk is normal for totara, not a sign of drought

How to water it

  • Water slowly under the canopy with drip or a soaker, wetting the soil 12 to 18 inches deep
  • Let the top few inches dry between soakings, and never let water stand around the trunk
  • Plant in fertile, humus-rich soil that drains well, in full sun and out of strong wind
  • Mulch the root zone with leaf mold or compost to keep the soil moist and rich
  • Move the drip ring outward as the crown spreads, since mature trees can be as wide as they are tall

Through the seasons

Keep a new totara evenly moist through its first two summers while roots spread. Established trees want regular deep watering through the dry months. It stays evergreen, and female trees may carry pinkish-red fruit in fall. Winter rain usually handles its needs on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates totara moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

A young totara can live in a large container for several years before planting out. Use a rich, well-drained mix and a pot with drainage holes. During summer, probe the mix with a finger every couple of days, and once it feels dry 2 inches deep, water slowly until it drains. Empty the saucer afterward. Keep the pot in sun but out of strong wind. In winter, water only when the mix begins to dry.

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
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Totara: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.78––
Feb0.530.650.810.87––
Mar0.871.091.151.3––
Apr1.181.521.41.61––
May1.462.081.611.95––
Jun1.612.481.742.29––
Jul1.612.671.982.51––
Aug1.492.391.862.33––
Sep1.241.81.491.86––
Oct0.871.181.151.33––
Nov0.470.560.840.9––
Dec0.310.340.650.68––
Year1217.1115.518.41––

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like totara. 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 totara 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 totara, 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 totara in summer?

In July, established totara 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 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 totara need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates totara 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, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

How big does a totara get?

In its native New Zealand it can reach 100 feet, but in most gardens it grows 25 to 30 feet tall and about as wide. It is long-lived, so plan for its full size.

Why does my totara have red berries?

Totara trees are male or female, and only females bear fleshy, pinkish-red fruits in fall. Those fruits form only where male and female trees grow near each other.

Is totara bark supposed to peel?

Yes. As the trunk thickens with age, the reddish-brown bark becomes furrowed and comes away in flakes. It is part of the tree's character, not damage.

How cold can totara take?

It is hardy to at least 15 degrees. It still does best in a sunny, sheltered spot.

Does totara need pruning?

Very little. Remove only dead or damaged branches, and let it keep its natural shape, conical at first and spreading later.

Is totara wood rot resistant?

Yes. Its hard, straight-grained wood resists rot and has long been used in New Zealand for fence posts, building supports and Maori carvings.

More plant watering guides

Pinks and CarnationsStraw FoxgloveStrawberry FoxgloveBroad Buckler FernAutumn FernSky FlowerTall Globe ThistleRose Gum

Sources