How Often Should You Water a Raywood Ash?

Watering and Growth

• To encourage fast growth, a homeowner should keep the soil moist to the touch around the raywood ash tree. Despite its preference for moist soil, the raywood ash continues to grow with only moderate irrigation. Its growth rate is slower in dry soil. You can allow the topsoil to dry thoroughly between waterings. The tree reaches a height of up to 80 feet and has a canopy width of up to 40 feet.

Native Habitat

• In the wild, the raywood tree is found growing along consistently moist bottomlands and in moist uplands. It appears to grow best in clay loam, sandy loam and loam soil. It tolerates a soil pH range of 6.0 to 8.0. The raywood ash tree has the ability to grow in coastal regions. It can withstand soil compaction without adverse effects.

Annual Rainfall

• The raywood ash tree thrives in regions that receive an annual rainfall of 15 to 30 inches. In such locations, the raywood tree requires no supplemental irrigation once established. It will survive on the yearly rainfall. In such areas, the tree will have sustained growth for six to seven months out of the year. The raywood ash does well in areas that suffer from urban pollution.

Growth Needs

• Raywood ash trees must grow in full sunlight to survive. They require 60 to 100 percent full light conditions. Once established, the tree can tolerate flooding in the spring and summer. Trees that grow in such flooded conditions do not spread actively by seeds. The seeds appear to be unable to germinate if the area sustains floods. In such regions, the seedlings require soil drainage to establish. When grown for timber, the raywood ash tree produces better wood if the tree grows on moderately dry sites and does not receive excessive irrigation that keeps the soil consistently moist.