Methods for Watering an older Street Tree (irrigation, trees, summer)

[lammius]

My next door neighbor has a maple in front of his building. The cut in the sidewalk is about 4’ x 5’
He says the tree has been there 40+ years but its trunk is maybe 8 inches in diameter. It looks more like 15-20 years old to me. The soil around the tree is very compacted (it’s in the sidewalk, after all). And the neighbor said it gets stressed in summer. He thinks it doesn’t get enough water.

I’ve been trying to think of a good treatment to get through the compacted soil and water the tree. Most videos/tutorials about street tree care are aimed at newly planted young trees. I’ve looked into watering bags, tree diapers, watering stakes, etc. connecting to a drip irrigation system isn’t feasible, but we could feed something with a hose or bucket every few days. Anybody have experience caring for mature trees in similar situations? Anything you’ve found to work (or not work) particularly well?

[Rickcin]

The best way to address to address your specific situation would be to install several perforated pvc pipes that will essentially water the trees root ball without wasting surface runoff that might not get to where it needs to be. Since you probably have limited access to the drip line of the tree, you will probably need at least three watering wells.

You will have to carefully select spots with a digging bar and perhaps a post hole digger while avoiding and large roots and you will have to explore to find your passageways of least disturbance. You can read up to learn more, however you will need to supply a serious amount of water and early in the day is best. A good quantity of water will encourage deep roots. Good luck!

[lammius]

Thanks for this advice. I was thinking along these lines but might need to use an auger to break through the compacted soil