IT all depends on how bad you need the trees. Protecting from road hunters. First run of fruit trees. I'd water and develop a method to make watering easier.
Typical summer water requirements is 1 inch an acre. 27,000 gallons. Few if any can provide that. If you consider a fruit tree a 20ft daimeter circle, then thats 194 gallons a week.
IF you aim for a 1/2" of water half way around the tree abut 2ft around the drip edge, you're at a realistic 17 gallons per plant.
I believe making certain root areas adequately watered is better than barely giving any moisture to the entire tree. Also, pruning back new growth reduces the evaporation rate. So, pruning is like watering it a bit year round.
I pour about 15 gallons around the drip edge were it's close to the neighboring trees. Getting the water takes longer thn pouring it. So, I dump about about 5 gallons at a time, then hit the next spot. Do that 2 or 3 rounds. Make a line along the rows. I'd go for 45 degrees on each side of the row line.
MY young trees I built a dam around them. I planted them in my backyard, so I used the sod clumps. About a 3ft diameter.
I have a small tree nursery, this is new for me this year. The bareroots are about 1ft apart. Waiting to graft and/or translant for next season. Got spruce, and put crabapple and apple clippings in the ground like propogating willows too. I water this better than my bareroots planted in their permanent locations. They're landscape fabric covered, bark mulched, and water almost daily. The soil water rototilled, amended with garden soil, peat moss, lime, and a bit of triple 12. There's easily a dozen more leafs on these trees that are treated like a commercial nursery.
The only privacy between the pool and road is some red spruce trees that were here when I moved into my current house. I water during dry spells, lime, fertilize, and planted clover. I also clearance the vines from the trees. These trees have grouwth that match or exceed typical well cared for spruce trees. Nice dark green / blue / and some purple. Tons of berries for the birds too. Most were about 8ft in 2017 and maybe 15 years old. Most are 15ft with some a touch taller. Those get more water because they're in hose range.....
During times of low water, if you leave the grass around the trees taller, it's more surface area for dew to collect. The taller grass also takes the sun heat away from the ground surface. Also breaks up the wind at the ground, which reduces evaporation.
MY old home had 3 large mature oaks a 2 mature hickory trees. I'd give each a 1/2 drum of water after a week of no rain when the temps were about 85 of better. Most summes it was only once or twice. I would also aim my mower discharge toward thedrip edge of the oaks, Give them some more mulch/thatch and nutrients of the dead material.
I think it was 2013. Had ahot early spell in may/june. Alot of oak and hickories gave up on making acorns. But, my watered trees were the only good acorn crop around. That was a fun bow season. Tons of squirrel fights. Buck activity was better. Even saw squirrels trying to scare of deer. That taught me to look and mark hickory trees on public land. Squirrel is one of my favorite type of hunts. Very dynamic, no long waits.
