Knowing how to water your landscaping to keep it happy and healthy is possibly one of the most challenging aspects of landscape maintenance. Too little, the plants wither and die. Too much, they drown and die. So how is a homeowner supposed to know how much water is the right amount for each part of their landscaping? Below, we offer some guidelines to help you figure that out.
If It’s Dry, Water It; If It’s Not, Don’t.
Every plant has different needs based on its species, the soil it’s in, how much sun it gets, and how old it is. And then we have the daily weather to contend with. So, giving general advice on how to water your landscaping is challenging. Although the adage noted above is true, we know it’s really not as simple as that.
Watering Based on Plant Lifecycle
When it comes to taking care of your new landscaping over time, consider the planting lifecycle:
First Year It Sleeps
Your newly planted specimen will spend its first year focused on establishing its root system and growing a few leaves or flowers. It will need TLC to ensure it creates a strong growth habit.
Second Year It Creeps
The next growing season your plant is continuing to get established and probably has the confidence to start showing off its stuff, like new leaves or flowers. Monitoring plant health is still important during this phase.
Third Year It Leaps
By year three, your plant is fully settled in and is displaying all its splendor. You can back off your worrying just a bit this year, but still keep your eye out for thirst.
Watering At Planting
Your plant’s introduction to your yard is a critical time in its life. Once you have filled the hole around it, be sure to fully soak the area to help settle the soil, destroy large air pockets that could dry out the roots, and ensure the root mass is thoroughly soaked. Monitor the soil around the plant daily for the first 10 days, sticking your fingers into the soil (not the mulch) about an inch deep to determine moisture content. If it is dry, water thoroughly again. If it is wet, wait. You do not want the roots to dry out, but you also do not want them to drown. After that initial period, you can back of a bit on the constant monitoring – every week should be fine depending upon the weather.
Watering For Growth
In years two and three, you will still need to keep an eye on the soil around your plants. If the weather is really hot, windy and dry, they will need more water. Cool and calm weather means you will have to water less. The basic idea is if you are more thirsty than normal, odds are your plants are too! However, always check the soil before watering.
Watering Once Established
After the first three growing seasons noted above, your watering duties slow down. If Mother Nature is kind enough to give us at least ½ of rain every 2-3 weeks, most plants are usually pretty happy. However, we often have very hot summers with no rain for 4-6 weeks; in this case your plants will appreciate a drink.
A Few More Watering Tips
Water long and deep rather than short and wide. Plants grow their roots toward the water and food. Since deep roots mean a more robust plant, make sure you are watering long enough to soak down into the soil to entice the roots to grow well.
Sprinkler systems are great for monocultures and lawns, but not so much for landscape beds with lots of plant varieties. Annuals need more water than perennials, that need more water than leafy trees/shrubs, that need more water than evergreens. So, if you have a mix of plants, a sprinkler system is overwatering some and underwatering others. In this case we suggest hand-watering to ensure all of your plants stay healthy.
The more TLC you give your plants, the more they will reward you. So, while understanding how to water your landscaping can take a bit of time, we feel it is totally worth it in the end. Please reach out to us if you have any watering questions. We’d be happy to help!
