A medium for living cells.
A tree cell contains a water-based solution. The materials involved in life function within this watery environment, rather than working as isolated dry ingredients.
Water & tree life // Polgar Tree Surgeons
Tree life starts with water.
Water comes first in this tree care conversation: Dr. Kim D. Coder identifies it as the single most important molecule in trees. Read the explanations below, explore his original publications, and bring your Michigan tree questions to an arborist at Polgar Tree Surgeon & Removal LLC.
Explore Dr. Coder's research ↓Dr. Kim D. Coder // University of Georgia
A tree's most important molecule.
In his 2021 Water & Tree Health Manual, Dr. Kim D. Coder describes water as the single most important molecule in trees. His work puts water at the center of understanding tree life.
Coder writes: “Water comprises 80% of living tree materials.” This is a broad biological description, not a fixed percentage for every tree, season, or piece of wood.
Water supports the processes that keep a tree alive, including making food, moving materials, and maintaining living cells. It is more than something a tree takes in through its roots. It is the environment in which those living processes happen.
Read Water & Tree Health Manual, 2021 PDF ↗Why water comes first // Inside a living tree
Water makes the other processes possible.
In Basic Water Properties: Attributes and Reactions Essential for Tree Life, Dr. Coder explains how water supports tree biology. Its importance reaches from individual cells to the movement of materials through a whole tree.
A carrier for essential materials.
Water dissolves many substances and helps transport them. The relationship between water and nutrients is part of how a tree functions, not a choice between one and the other.
A buffer and a working fluid.
Water helps moderate temperature changes and acts as a hydraulic fluid within a tree. Its physical properties are as important as its presence.
Water is foundational. Oxygen, nutrients, light, and functioning roots remain essential too. A tree care plan needs to account for these connected needs.
Read Dr. Coder's Basic Water Properties, 1999 PDF ↗Watering // Root-zone care
Start with water. Include drainage.
Water's importance does not mean every struggling tree needs a longer-running hose. Roots need a balance of moisture and air. Saturated soil can restrict oxygen, so a watering decision needs to account for drainage as well as dry conditions.
Dr. Coder's 2022 Watering Trees publication explains supplemental watering during drought. His guidance emphasizes applying water to soil, letting it soak in, and allowing drainage between applications. A soaker hose or drip irrigation can help place water around the rooting area instead of repeatedly wetting the trunk.
Read Dr. Coder's Watering Trees, 2022 PDF ↗Different trees. Different watering needs.
A newly planted tree.
A new tree needs attention to its root ball and planting area. Its watering needs differ from those of an established tree with roots spread across the grounds. Discuss the planting date, soil conditions, and recent rainfall when asking about care.
An established tree.
Dr. Coder's watering guidance focuses on soil beneath the crown, rather than concentrating water against the base of a mature trunk. It also cautions against water running off or pooling for extended periods. Read the full guide before applying a watering formula to your property.
A tree sharing a lawn.
University of Georgia Extension explains that frequent, shallow lawn watering may not meet a tree's needs. Its guide to trees and lawns discusses root competition, mulch, irrigation, and drainage. The whole landscape matters when planning water for a tree.
Polgar Tree Surgeons // Your tree. Your property.
Look at the roots as well as the branches.
When you contact Polgar about a tree, tell us about recent dry weather, standing water, soil added around the base, or nearby digging. These details help frame the conversation alongside what you see in the canopy.
Polgar's arborist services include tree trimming and pruning, removal, stump grinding, storm cleanup, and AirSpade root collar excavation. For a concern around a buried root flare, explore our root care page and see Polgar using the actual tool.
See Polgar AirSpade root care →Further reading // Original sources
Keep learning from Dr. Coder.
Dr. Kim D. Coder is listed by the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources as Professor of Tree Biology & Health Care. His professional manual explores water's properties and its role in tree biology; his shorter watering guide focuses on application methods and conditions.
Dr. Coder's university profile ↗
Water & Tree Health Manual, 2021 ↗ is professional educational reading. Watering Trees, 2022 ↗ covers supplemental watering. UGA Extension's trees and lawns guide ↗ offers additional landscape context and further reading.
These are independent educational resources. Polgar Tree Surgeons is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dr. Coder or the University of Georgia. Their publications provide background; advice for a particular Michigan tree needs to consider its location, soil, condition, and weather.
Polgar Tree Surgeon & Removal LLC
Bring your tree questions to Polgar.
Arborist services across Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Monroe, Wayne, Oakland, Branch, Lenawee, Livingston, and Jackson counties.
Call (734) 585-8549