A neighbor in Phoenix made me rethink my whole watering schedule

She said she only waters her citrus trees once every 3 weeks, deep and slow, and pointed out my daily sprinkling was making shallow roots. I tried her method for 2 months and my lemon tree finally stopped dropping leaves. Has anyone else had luck with less frequent watering in dry climates?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby6591mo ago

I appreciate you sharing your experience, but I have to push back on this one. That neighbor's advice might work for her soil and her specific trees, but daily watering kept my citrus alive through our brutal July and August spells here. When I cut back to every three weeks, my trees showed stress within days, leaves curling up no matter how deep the water went. I also worry that this approach ignores how different Phoenix neighborhoods have different soil types, some of that caliche clay holds water forever while sandy lots drain in hours.

shane_bell1mo ago

Totally get it, that's rough when you finally find what works.