WATERING INSTRUCTIONS

Watering Instructions for Plants:  

The first two weeks after the installation of your plants is critical to their survival. Plan to be available to "baby" your new plants during this important time of establishment. Watering every 3-4 days is necessary for trees and shrubs. Perennials and groundcovers should be watered more often because their root balls are much smaller, approximately every 2-3 days. Ideally, water is best applied early in the day but it is more important to water thoroughly and deeply than to worry about the time of day. The thing to remember about plant establishment is WATER, WATER, and WATER.

Watering for New Garden Installations:  

New installations should always be watered immediately after planting.  It is important to keep new plantings and young plants well-watered as their root system has not fully developed.  Make sure to check the soil right around the base of the plants as this soil may dry out faster than soil in. between plants.  Too much water can encourage disease and cause plant death, so it’s important to pay attention to the climate and the location of the plants to determine when and how much to water.  Always check soil moisture before watering by sticking your finger in the soil up to the second knuckle. If the soil is moist, don’t water.

Watering Guidelines:

Spring Perennial Plantings

• Week 1:  Every other day
• Week 2-3:  Water 2-3 times per week, depending on environmental conditions
• Weeks 4+:  Water 2-3 times per week, more in hot/dry conditions. When cooler, water less.

Summer Perennial Plantings

• Week 1:  Every day
• Week 2-6:  Water 2-3 times per week, depending on environmental conditions
• Weeks 6+:  Water 3 times per week or as needed if conditions are hot and dry.

Fall Perennial Plantings

• Week 1:  Every other day
• Weeks 2-4:  1-3 times per week, depending on environmental conditions.
• Weeks 4+:  Water less as winter approaches.  Water evergreens until the ground freezes.

Watering Your Trees:  
​
The best way to be sure that your newly planted or established trees are getting the right amount of water is to use slow-release watering bags.  Watering bags deliver a high volume of water directly to the root system with no run-off or evaporation, helping to significantly reduce the effects of drought and transplant shock.  

Watering Bag Schedule:

• Summer planting (70 – 90 degrees) Water every 3 days (Sun-Wed-Sat, etc.)
• Autumn planting (60 – 70 degrees) Water every 5-7 days

Special Tips:

• Smaller plants will have smaller root balls and accordingly will tend to dry out more quickly, so they may need to be watered more frequently than larger plants.
  
  
• It is preferred to water in the morning and apply water only to the soil and not the foliage. Constantly wet leaves are highly susceptible to bacterial and fungal diseases.
  
  
• Applying a thin layer of mulch of 1-2" to the bare earth that surrounds the root zone will reduce the number of times you need to water by 50%. The mulch will effectively reduce the amount of evaporation (and “wicking”) moisture from the soil. It also shades the soil keeping it cooler in the summer months.

---

Learn more about:

• Consultation and Design
• Garden Installation​​
• Edible Gardens​
• Pollinator Gardens & Wildlife Habitats
• Rain Gardens
• ​Eco-Lawns ​
• Drip Line Installation​