Home > Health and maintenance > Damaging actions > Irrigating under canopy
Irrigating under the canopy
Irrigating a site that contains mature trees not previously irrigated can cause problems. Irrigation can change the soil biology and this can affect tree health.
Trees might become healthier with addition of water if they were stressed from lack of water. Soil disease fungi could also become more active and infect roots and trunk base if kept too moist. This could result in a decline in health.
In most cases, it is best to keep irrigation from reaching the trunk and large
roots at the base of the trunk. Install irrigation wisely when mature trees are present (See: suggestions). Irrigating the bed area in the photo could
cause problems if the base of the trunk and main roots are kept too moist. It
is better to keep plants a few feet from the trunk so the trunk does not receive
water from irrigation.
