Watering the trumpet tree

• Trumpet tree origin
• Trumpet tree care and location
• Pruning the trumpet tree
• Fertilizing the trumpet tree
• Watering the trumpet tree

Trumpet tree origin

Catalpa bignonioides are evergreen trees in the Bignoniaceae family. They originate from North America and were only introduced to Europe in the 19th century, where they quickly became established as ornamental plants. Today, catalpa trees are popular in many parts of the world and are often planted in parks and gardens. Catalpa trees are known for their long, drooping flowers, which appear in early summer and are bright white, yellow, or orange and are shaped like trumpets. The leaves are broad, heart-shaped, and green. Catalpa trees grow quickly and can reach heights of up to 30 m. They are highly adaptable and can thrive in almost any climate as long as they receive sufficient sunlight and water. They are particularly good as shade trees, making them ideal for the garden. 

Trumpet tree care and location

The location for planting trumpet trees should be sunny to partially shaded and sheltered from the wind. They are best planted in moist, well-drained soil and need plenty of water and sunlight. However, they can also survive in dry soil by shedding their leaves and going into a kind of hibernation. Trumpet trees grow quickly and need plenty of space.

Pruning trumpet trees

Trumpet trees are robust and usually do not require any special care. The perfect time to Cutting measures should be carried out on a frost-free day in January or February before shoots start to emerge. With young trees, the main stem should not be shortened or the side branches should be cut back. However, light shaping pruning is possible. When pruning trumpet trees, dead branches should be removed to keep the tree healthy. With older trees, it is also important to remove crossing branches, branches that grow too close together, and branches that extend into the interior of the crown. Branches that are too long should be shortened by a third or at most by half by making the cut 0,5 to 1 cm above a pair of buds or bud triplet. The cut should be chosen so that a side shoot branches off immediately below it (so-called diversion), as otherwise broom-like shoots can form.

Fertilize trumpet trees?

In spring the Fertilize with mature compost and horn shavings is recommended to provide the trumpet tree with nutrients. Trumpet trees are susceptible to pests such as aphids and butterfly caterpillars, but these can easily be treated with biological pesticides.

Watering the trumpet tree

Climate change is leading to hotter temperatures and longer dry periods in our regions, which has an impact on the environment and especially on trees. Depending on the location and climatic conditions, it may be necessary to water the trees more frequently than in the past. Trumpet trees should be watered regularly, especially during extended dry periods. Pour With the garden hose, a lot of water is lost through runoff or evaporation.

A more efficient way of irrigation is to use tree bath watering bags. Water is released drop by drop to the trees over several hours through two holes in the lower area. This ensures that moisture does not evaporate above or seep into the deep soil to be absorbed by the roots. Another advantage of the watering bags is that the continuous watering prevents the risk of root rot.
Attaching and filling the water bags is easy and self-explanatory. The bag is placed around the tree trunk like a jacket and closed with a zip. In the next step, you fill the bag with enough water so that after further alignment there are no more wrinkles in the lower area and then let it fill up. One watering bag is enough to provide young trees with sufficient water. For existing trees with a larger trunk diameter, two to three watering bags can be connected to each other to provide them with sufficient water.