WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Quercus cerris, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Turkish oak in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Turkish oak 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. Turkish oak, also called Turkey oak, is a fast growing deciduous tree from southern Europe and western Asia. In gardens it reaches 40 to 60 feet with a similar spread, deeply fissured gray bark and narrow, deeply lobed leaves. Its acorns sit in shaggy, mossy cups. It grows well in most deep, well-drained soils in sun or part shade.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Turkish oak, 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 Turkish oak 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 at the drip line of an established Turkish oak signals that it needs a deep soak
  • Leaves browning at the edges or dropping early in a long dry spell can indicate a dry root zone
  • White powder on young leaves points to powdery mildew, not to a shortage of water
  • Knobby galls on twigs or acorns come from tiny gall wasps and do not reflect watering
  • Yellowing leaves over waterlogged soil can indicate poor drainage around the roots

How to water it

  • Water a young Turkish oak over its root ball and the surrounding soil, enlarging the circle each year
  • For an established tree, apply water from the outer canopy outward and keep the trunk base dry
  • Soak slowly so water reaches 18 inches or deeper, then let the soil dry well before the next soak
  • Plant in deep, fertile, well-drained soil, away from low spots where water stands
  • Leave fallen leaves beneath the canopy as mulch to hold moisture

Through the seasons

Water a new Turkish oak deeply through its first two or three dry seasons while roots spread. Established trees take deep, widely spaced soakings through summer. WUCOLS rates Turkish oak moderate water on the north-central coast and on the south coast. It rates low water in the Central Valley. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for South Inland, the high desert or the low desert. Leaves emerge in spring alongside dangling catkins and turn greenish to yellow-brown in fall before dropping. Winter rain usually carries the leafless tree through the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley.

In pots

Turkish oak grows fast, so a pot only suits a seedling or young tree before planting. Use a deep container with open holes and a fertile, well-drained mix. During summer heat, test the mix 2 to 3 inches down every few days and water when it is dry at that depth. Let water drain through, then empty the saucer. The plant is harmful to dogs if eaten, so keep pets from chewing it. After leaf fall, water lightly, and plant out before the roots circle.

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
0.490.991.52.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.490.991.52.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Turkish Oak: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.160.78–––
Feb0.530.260.81–––
Mar0.870.431.15–––
Apr1.180.611.4–––
May1.460.831.61–––
Jun1.610.991.74–––
Jul1.611.071.98–––
Aug1.490.951.86–––
Sep1.240.721.49–––
Oct0.870.471.15–––
Nov0.470.220.84–––
Dec0.310.140.65–––
Year126.8415.5–––

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 low water in the Central Valley, like Turkish oak. 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 Turkish oak, 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 Turkish oak in summer?

In July, established Turkish oak in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley and about every 11 days on the south coast. 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 Turkish oak need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates Turkish oak separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated 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.

What makes Turkish oak acorns look hairy?

The cups are covered in shaggy, spreading scales, which gives them a mossy look. The acorns themselves grow up to about an inch and a half long. This is normal and not a sign of pests.

How big does Turkish oak get?

In gardens it typically reaches 40 to 60 feet tall with a similar spread, and it grows fast. Give it room well away from buildings and paving. Widen the watered area as the canopy spreads.

Is Turkish oak harmful to pets?

It is listed as harmful to dogs if eaten. Keep dogs from chewing on fallen parts of the tree.

Can you overwater a Turkish oak?

Yes. It needs well-drained soil, and constantly wet ground harms its roots. Let the soil dry well between deep soakings, and keep lawn sprinklers off the trunk area.

Can Turkish oak grow near the coast?

Yes. It is suitable for coastal planting and tolerates exposed sites. Give it deep, fertile soil that drains well.

More plant watering guides

Pride of TenerifeRussian OliveSilverberryMexican FleabaneCider GumSwamp MahoganyFlooded GumRed Ironbark

Sources