If a tree has been planted on the terrace in front of your home by Urban Forestry within the last five years, or if you had a tree planted on your private property in that same window of time, residents are reminded to water the tree as needed to increase its chance of survival.

Young trees need watering, especially during dry weather like we have been experiencing.

Urban Forestry has deployed crews to water young trees on the terrace, but with thousands of terrace trees around Madison, residents are encouraged to help.  And. you are also encouraged to water any young trees on your private property as needed, too.

How to Water a Tree
Trees may require 10 gallons of water a week, but be careful not to over water. You should take any rainfall into account as well.

You can tell if a young tree needs watering by checking the soil. It should be moist, like a wrung out sponge.

When watering the tree, make sure the water flow is slow enough so the ground absorbs the water and does not run off. Dispense the water all around the tree so the entire rootball can be hydrated.

Additional Resources
More information about caring for new trees can be found on the urban forestry services can be found at www.cityofmadison.com/forestry.

For more information specifically about tree watering, the Wisconsin DNR published a useful article about this topic in 2019.