The Water Cost: Urban Tree vs. Pocket Forest

How much water should a city tree need to survive?

In Berlin, mature city trees can need 200 – 400 litres of water per week during periods of drought. So as cities face hotter summers, longer droughts and more extreme weather, we need to ask:

Are we planting urban green spaces that can survive the climate ahead?

Trees planted individually in streets and parks often need regular watering to establish and survive, putting increasing pressure on already stretched water supplies.

The SUGi method takes a different approach.

By planting densely, using native species, building healthy soil and recreating the layers of a natural forest, SUGi Pocket Forests become increasingly self-sustaining. After around 3 years, they typically no longer need watering. Many require little to no additional water once established.

During the drought of 2026 only 3 out of our 33 pocket forests in London needed 1 round of watering. That’s it.

That matters when water is becoming an increasingly precious resource. The goal isn’t simply to plant more trees. It’s to create living ecosystems that can take care of themselves.

Because the future of urban greening can’t just be about how many trees we plant. It has to be about whether they can survive, thrive and support life, even as the climate gets tougher.