Water? - Ask Extension
Last year we planted a rain garden and a few shrubs and fruit trees. I'm worried about the lack of rain so far this spring.
Should we be watering al...
Knowledgebase
Water? #929206
Asked April 22, 2026, 10:24 AM EDT
Last year we planted a rain garden and a few shrubs and fruit trees. I'm worried about the lack of rain so far this spring.
Should we be watering already?
Thank you for your time.
Dakota County Minnesota
Expert Response
According to experts at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, "newly planted trees need 15-25 gallons of water once a week for the first 3 to 5 years when the ground is thawed and until the ground freezes again. You can skip watering if it has rained more than 1 inch in a week. Weekly watering sounds expensive but costs less than a cup of coffee."
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/treecare/caring-pruning.html
Go here for another point of view:
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/watering-newly-planted-trees-and-shrubs
In any case, it's not too early to begin watering trees and shrubs in the Twin Cities area. Conditions in most of the area have been dry recently.
Well established rain garden plants should not need to be watered except during drought.
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/treecare/caring-pruning.html
Go here for another point of view:
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/watering-newly-planted-trees-and-shrubs
In any case, it's not too early to begin watering trees and shrubs in the Twin Cities area. Conditions in most of the area have been dry recently.
Well established rain garden plants should not need to be watered except during drought.
