You look out onto your newly installed landscape, seeing the beautiful trees, shrubs, and flowers -everything is in its place, looking awesome and then it dawns on you…..Now what?
This is what needs to happen to nurture your landscape: water your plants!
Next, let us tell you how to water your plants PROPERLY.
- Less is more. Set your hose on a trickle…slow and steady wins the race. Place the hose at the base of the plant. If you’re watering your veggies or annuals, leave hose at the base of each plant until water starts to run off – about 30 seconds. Do three or so and circle back. Be sure to hit each plant twice, three times if you have the patience. For larger plants, perennials, potted shrubs and small potted trees, leave at the base of the plant again until water begins to run off. This should take close to a minute maybe more. Again, repeat once or twice depending on your patience level. For larger balled and burlapped (B&B) 2”-3”trees and shrubs, leave hose at the base for a good thirty minutes at that slow trickle. Forty-five minutes if it’s a water lover, such as a Serviceberry.
Just one step…that’s all there is to it if you do it and do it right. Still overwhelmed? That’s okay, we really do want you to be successful and achieve all of your horticultural dreams. Here are some more helpful suggestions:
Mark your calendar. Make a special watering day each week and then stick to it. While watering, set a timer on your smart phone or use a kitchen timer. Set the timer for each plant so that you remember to water most of your plants and not just one.
Stick to the watering schedule from now until mid-September. During summer your newly planted landscape needs to be deeply watered once a week, regardless of any rain. Just once a week for about 5-6 months and you’ll be set for success. You can do this! Those new plant roots need lots of water initially, but in no time you’ll have an established, low maintenance and drought resist landscape!
By watering on this slow trickle you are saturating the root ball and the surrounding soil. Therefore, training roots to grow down and out and be more drought tolerant once established. It normally takes a full season (one year from planting) for a perennial, shrub or small tree to get its roots established. For larger trees, two or three years may be needed. Once the root system is established there is no need for a committed watering schedule, you’ve given enough TLC to let it fend for itself barring a severe drought, in which case please throw some water its way!
Resist the temptation to stand over the plant with a watering wand to water newly planted plants. Most of the water will simply run off and you’ll be wasting your time. Now, investing in a colorful watering wand is perfectly sound, especially if it reminds you to water. They’re great for saturating pots and hanging baskets, but they’re not your ticket for efficiently saturating soil around trees and shrubs. You could get away with using it to water annuals or perennials in groupings.
Another idea. If you have newly planted trees or shrubs in a hedge or screen, close together, it may be worth considering a soaker hose. Sweating soaker hoses release water slowly, letting water soak into the ground rather than running off. It can also save you time on watering day.
Commit to your watering schedule and you’ll be amazed at how your plants will thank you. Happy Gardening!