Tree Care
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In Salt Lake City, the hot and dry weather means trees need extra water to stay alive. The city takes care of most tree services on public land, but if there’s a tree on the strip of grass outside your house, it’s up to you to water it. Urban Forestry provides a watering bag with each newly planted tree. The watering bag is not meant as the sole source of water for the tree; instead, it’s meant to keep the roots moist in between deep watering with a hose. Learn how to take care of your tree below!
Since 2020, Salt Lake City began planting 1,000 new trees each year—especially focused in areas of the City that have traditionally had fewer trees and less greenspace, like Westside neighborhoods. We need your help to care for the newest trees in our urban forest! Check out the resources below to learn how you can support these efforts.
See a tree in the Park Strip that needs help?
Urban Forestry works hard to monitor and maintain the 85,000 trees that make up our city’s urban forest. But we need your help! If you notice the tree on the park strip next to your property looks stressed, it might be due to various issues that only a trained arborist can diagnose. Please keep an eye on these trees and contact Urban Forestry at the first sign of any problems. This allows us to address the issue promptly and keep our trees healthy.
How to Water Your Tree
Newly planted trees need to be watered 1-2 times per week in spring and fall and 2-3 times per week in summer. Water the mulched area directly with a hose, for 5-10 minutes, and then fill the watering bag if it is empty.
- Water Down to the Roots: Tree roots are usually 18-24” deep. Deep watering encourages roots to grow down in the soil which helps achieve proper anchorage for the tree.
- Use a Hose, Not a Sprinkler: Watering with a sprinkler will NOT saturate the soil to the proper depth and most of the water is lost to runoff and evaporation. Use a hose instead!
- After Two Years, Ditch the Bag: When the tree has been in the ground for 2 years, remove the water bag and discard it (or store it for later use on a different tree). The tree’s roots will be beyond the bag after 2 years and the most effective means of watering is direct watering with a hose.
- Keep Watering Your Tree: As the tree grows, it will continue to need supplemental water for its entire life. The exact amount of water is variable but generally, 5-10 gallons per inch of trunk diameter is recommended. Water should be applied evenly at a low flow rate until the soil is saturated to a depth of 18”.
Need extra tips or reminders to water? Watch the video and download the Urban Forestry Watering Calendar or tree Watering Guide.
Mulching & Pruning 101
Providing mulch around a tree has numerous benefits, but it needs to be done correctly or it will do more harm than good. Mulch should be 2-4 inches thick and extend to the drip line of the tree. Mulch should be in an even flat layer, not piled up around the tree and no mulch should be touching the trunk.
Pruning of all city trees (growing between the sidewalk and road) is done by the Salt Lake City Urban Forestry Program. Call our office for an evaluation if the park strip tree is in need of pruning. A permit is required prior to any pruning of city trees. All tree pruning shall be performed in accordance with the Utah Shade Tree Pruning Standards or the American National Standard Institute for Plant Maintenance: ANSI A300 (Part 1)-2001. NO TREE TOPPING OR HEADING BACK.