Basic Watering Guidelines:

Trees: With a hose running at a moderate flow rate, flood the root ball area for +/- 10 minutes every 7 days, if possible, to ensure moisture is regularly available to the roots. Evergreen trees especially will appreciate continued watering late into the autumn months, as late as November or December.

Shrubs: With a hose running at a moderate flow rate, flood the root ball area for +/- 1 minute on each shrub every 5-7 days. Once the root ball area is saturated, continue on to the next shrub and repeat. The watering schedule should continue throughout the entire growing season, which would typically extend into the late autumn months. Again, evergreen shrubs will appreciate late season watering prior to winter storage.

Perennials and Groundcovers: Perennials and groundcovers have root systems that tend to be shallower than the root systems of trees and shrubs. For this reason, perennials and groundcovers can dry out quicker, especially in times of drought. Apply water to perennials and groundcovers in the previously described manner every 3-5 days during dry periods, or every 5-7 days when trees and shrubs are being watered.

Should we experience a rainy season, typically in the spring or fall, suspend the watering schedule for as long as 7-10 days after the last significant rainfall. The time frame the watering schedule should be relaxed is relative to the duration and intensity of a rainy season.

With all bedding plants, it is important to maintain adequate mulch cover, usually a depth of about 2”. We suggest using an organic double or triple processed mulch to cover the bedding. The mulch cover will assist in maintaining and retaining moisture for extended periods of time and insulating the root zones of plants from both extreme heat and extreme cold. In addition, a good mulch cover will help deter the germination of weeds.

Fertilization of plantings goes hand in hand with watering. In many cases, the existing soil condition may not be sufficient to sustain optimum health for plants without being supplemented. All plants appreciate and will use nutrients when they are applied. A minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 applications of a standard analysis 12-12-12 or 20-20-20 are suitable. Apply around the base of plants before watering as early as late March and as late as November, if you wish. After the second growing season passes, you can cease fertilization unless the plant shows signs of struggling.

The first two seasons are the most critical to the successful establishment of your plantings. Neglecting your plantings early could result in poorly performing plants or plants that never truly establish themselves and fall victim to disease or insect infestation. Please keep in mind that struggling, under-watered, and under-nourished plants become targets for pests and diseases.

Watering and fertilizing plants is by no means intended to be your new career. Please view it as an investment in your home and the health of your new garden and you can expect great success and beauty in your garden for years to come.