NEWLY PLANTED PLANTS

It’s important that you begin watering your new plants on the day of installment. To promote good roots and a healthy plant life, read on for the Pro’s watering instructions for new plants!

It’s best to use an open-ended hose at moderate pressure and not a sprinkler. A thorough soaking will take 20 seconds for small plants and up to three minutes for larger shrubs and trees (see chart). Your new plants should be watered in this way for the first seven days. After the first two weeks, you can cut back your watering to three times per week for the next two to four months. 

During this time, rainfall should be monitored and supplemental water tempered accordingly. During dry spells, the soil around the newly installed plant will be dry and “wick” a percentage of supplemental water away from the intended target plant. While it may seem that the recommended amount of supplemental water is in excess, accommodation of this “wicking” is vital to providing adequate water for plant establishment.

SMALL PLANTS (1 gallon container)	20 seconds (½ gallon of watering per session)
MEDIUM PLANTS (3-7 gallon container)	45 seconds (1 gallon)
LARGE PLANTS (15 gallon container, B&B)	2 minutes (3 gallons)

Watering thoroughly is very important, as penetration to the lower soil horizon will promote root growth deep into the ground. Shallow watering will promote root growth at the soil surface which jeopardizes the long-term stability of the plant. Since the soil surface moisture fluctuates readily with sun or wind extremes, soil drying can occur often and quickly. 

It should be noted that it is possible to overwater plants. 

If plants are installed in the early spring or late fall, they may not need to be watered as often as suggested above. If you have a concern about a plant being too wet, take a sturdy stick and put it into the ground next to the root and the approximate bottom of the plant’s hole. Pull up the stick and look to see if it is extremely wet or dry. If the stick is saturated when you pull it out the hole, it is most likely full of water and the plant has been overwatered. If this occurs, stop watering until the hole has dried out and the stick is not saturated when you test the soil.

ESTABLISHED PLANTS (IN GROUND 1+ YEARS).

During a hot, dry spell in mid-summer, established plants benefit from occasional deep watering. Water once or twice weekly, depending on the severity of the weather, using the above chart as a guide.

To download this guide, check out our PDF here!