Evapotranspiration (ET) of a 29 yr old spruce stand is investigated by a simplified three-propeller eddy covariance technique and by utilizing the continuously recorded soil moisture budget for a dry episode in spring of 1995. Good agreement between both methods encourages the use of the total record of 1995 for a parametrization of the Penman-Monteith model of ET. Eddy covariance data of 1994 are used to validate this parametrization independently. A reasonable agreement is found between measured and modelled ET showing the potential of an adequately calibrated Penman-Monteith model for the evaluation of forest ET for water management purposes.