Wilson Bros Gardens LLC

Depending on the time of year, type of plant, soil type and porosity, sun exposure, weather conditions and other various factors, there's really no way we can formulate a "one-size-fits-all" watering schedule for a landscape filled with many different types of plants and different environmental conditions. For example, if there's sufficient rainfall to adequately water plants, supplemental irrigation may not be necessary at all. On the other hand the weather could be very dry, but this doesn't mean that all the different types of plants in your landscape will have the same water needs.

So, if there's no way to set a routine watering schedule for all plants, what to do?

While the established plants in your landscape have grown extensive root systems over the years that help them through extended periods of dry weather, which means there's usually not a need to frequently check soil moisture, you'll need to monitor soil moisture more closely and frequently during the first year after planting; when and while newer plants are acclimating to their new home and establishing a root system. Once established, plants will require less and less attention to watering as time goes by.

There are basically two ways to monitor soil moisture...

1) By Hand. The most effective way to test soil moisture is by using your finger or a moisture meter to test the top two or more inches of the soil. If the soil is damp or moist hold off on the watering. If the top two or more inches of the soil is dry then this means it's time for a good soaking. In time you'll learn how often various plants in your landscape need a dose of water when weather conditions are dry.

2) By Observation. Another way to know whether or not a plant needs water is to keep an eye on its new fresh leaves. If the new leaves are wilting or drooping this is often an indicator that a plant could use a good deep soaking. That said, it's still a good idea to test the soil with your finger because leaves can also wilt due to oversaturated soil, not too mention that a plant won't always have fresh new leaves. 

There are essentially two ways to water plants: by hand or by automated irrigation system. In this article we're focusing on the hand watering method. To find helpful tips for watering outdoor plants with an an automatic irrigation or sprinkler system click here. 

Watering newly planted plants by hand is very simple and straightforward. If you've used the finger test or a moisture meter and determined that the top two or more inches of the soil is dry, and that your plant needs water, simply use a garden hose or watering container to give the plant a good deep soaking.

Keep in mind that when watering newly planted plants, rather than just splashing them with a little water every day it's much better to deep soak less often. Also keep in mind that it's best to avoid splashing water on foliage when watering, especially if watering during the late evening or at night, which can cause development of fungal disease on foliage. 

Important Tip:  Also keep in mind that when watering newly planted shrubs, trees and other plants it's important that the entire root ball of the plant, which could be 6 inches or more in height, remains consistently damp to moist during the first growing season. This deep soaking to a depth equal to greater than the bottom of the root ball or planting holes is especially important. After that, you'll just be providing enough water to soak the top of the root ball and surrounding soil.

 

Contrary to popular belief, with the exception of bog or aquatic plants, more new plants within are damaged or die during the the first few weeks or months after planting due to oversaturated, constantly soggy or wet soil than dry soil conditions. Constantly soggy soil leads to the development of root rot and most often occurs when plants have been planted too deep (with the top of their root ball below the soil level) and/or have been overwatered.