Root Feeding in Denver: Getting Water to Trees the Sidewalk and Street Won’t Let In
Denver has never ended a watering season quite like this one. For the first time, Denver Water made October 1 a hard cutoff for lawn watering across its service area after the hottest first seven months ever recorded in the metro and streamflow that reached only a fraction of normal. The utility expects the cutoff to hold at least through next spring.
The good news: trees, shrubs and gardens can still be watered by hand or drip. The challenge is getting that water where a city tree can actually use it.
That challenge is bigger in Denver than anywhere else in the metro. The city’s oldest and most valuable trees grow in some of the toughest soil conditions in Colorado, and a garden hose was never built to solve them.
The Tree Lawn Is the Hardest Place in Denver to Grow a Tree
Walk any block in Park Hill, Washington Park, Berkeley or Platt Park and you will see the same layout: a narrow strip of grass between the sidewalk and the curb, with a mature tree growing right in the middle of it. That strip is the tree lawn, and it asks a lot of the trees planted there.
- Concrete on both sides. Sidewalk and street cover much of the area where roots would naturally spread, so rain and snowmelt run off instead of soaking in.
- Decades of compaction. Foot traffic, parked cars, utility work and sidewalk repairs have pressed the soil tight, leaving little room for air or water.
- Radiant heat. Asphalt and concrete absorb sun all day and release it at night, drying the root zone faster than a backyard ever would.
For years, the lawn sprinklers that watered that strip kept these trees going. With lawn watering prohibited, many tree lawn trees are now relying on whatever falls from the sky in one of the driest years on record.
It is also worth knowing that in Denver, trees in the public right-of-way, including the tree lawn in front of your home, are generally the adjacent property owner’s responsibility to maintain. If a street tree declines after a dry winter, the cost of pruning or removing it typically falls to the homeowner.
Why Older Neighborhoods Need More Than Surface Water
Denver’s established neighborhoods are home to silver maple, linden, hackberry, honeylocust and elm that have been growing for 50 years or more. Trees that size have root systems spreading far beyond the canopy, under sidewalks, driveways and neighboring yards. A hose aimed at the base of the trunk wets a tiny fraction of that network, and on compacted soil, much of it never gets below the top inch.
Large mature trees also have the most to lose. A young tree that struggles through a dry winter can be replaced in a few seasons. A century-old shade tree cannot.
What Root Feeding Does Differently
Eden Tree Care’s root feeding service uses high-pressure water injected below the surface at multiple points across the root zone. Instead of sitting on hardened soil, the water is pushed down and outward to where the roots are. The process:
- Delivers moisture directly to root ends, bypassing compacted surface soil
- Spreads water evenly across a far larger area than a hose can reach
- Improves soil structure around the roots so future water soaks in more easily
- Uses water efficiently, placing it where trees can use it rather than losing it to runoff
Finishing Strong With Spring Organic Fertilization
Watering carries a tree through winter. Spring fertilization helps it rebuild. Every root feeding program wraps up with an organic fertilizer blend of essential minerals, seaweed extract, humates, surfactants and humectants. Together they encourage new root growth, help soil hold onto moisture and reduce the water stress a tree carries into summer. Learn more about our soil testing and fertilization services.
Is Your Denver Tree Already Stressed?
After a summer like this one, many trees are going into winter with little in reserve. Watch for:
- Leaves that browned at the edges or dropped early this year
- Thin patches in the upper canopy
- Small dead branches at the tips of limbs, which can become a hazard over time and may call for emergency tree service after a storm
- Cracked, heaved or sunken sidewalk near the trunk, a sign of compacted and stressed roots
- Evergreen needles turning yellow or brown on the south and west sides
If you are seeing any of these, a winter watering plan is the most practical step you can take right now. Our team serves neighborhoods across Denver and can complete a tree assessment to tell you which trees on your property need attention first.
Request a free estimate and give your Denver trees the water they need to make it to spring.
Common Questions About Root Feeding in Denver
How long will Denver’s lawn watering ban last?
Denver Water has said the October 1 cutoff is indefinite and will last at least through next spring, with future rules depending on the coming snowpack.
Am I responsible for the tree between my sidewalk and the street?
In Denver, trees in the public right-of-way next to your property are generally the adjacent property owner’s responsibility to maintain, including watering, pruning and removal.
Why does compacted soil matter for winter watering?
Compacted soil sheds water instead of absorbing it. High-pressure root feeding moves water below the compacted layer and spreads it through the root zone, where surface watering cannot reach.
What is in the spring fertilizer?
Our organic blend includes essential minerals, seaweed extract, humates, surfactants and humectants designed to increase root development and reduce water stress.