Hours Update: ALL Weston Nurseries and Weston Wholesale locations will be closed on Easter Sunday, March 31st.

The Watering Report: Once Is Not Enough!

The Watering Report: Once Is Not Enough!

By Dirk Coburn, MCH, Horticultural Specialist at Weston Nurseries


It is as important as ever to water newly planted trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers. The ground is dry deep enough that rain has a large volume of soil to remoisten. Winter survival of your plants depends on continued attention to watering them.

The general principles of watering remain the same for all plants in all settings:

  • WATER DEEPLY each plant that has been planted this year, using at least enough water to get the soil wet throughout the roots and beyond. That way, the root system will grow larger and deeper to seek the water in adjacent soil. Establishing deep roots makes a plant more drought-resistant. If you get a rainstorm of 1 inch or more, that is sufficient water for about a week. Otherwise, you need to provide additional water.
  • WATER OFTEN ENOUGH so that the soil never goes “bone dry”. Soil that lacks moisture or humidity kills hair roots, and hair roots are the ones that gather water for a plant.
  • DO NOT WATER TOO OFTEN. Soil that is constantly wet or soggy never allows air to pass through it. Because most plants – especially woody plants – require their roots to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide, the soil must allow air to pass through on a regular basis. If you refrain from watering too frequently, then there is no practical upper limit to the amount of water that you can use. If you have a very sandy or otherwise fast-draining soil, you can double or triple the minimum recommended amount of water.
  • WATER THE ROOTS, not the foliage. Watering the foliage of plants is of no great benefit at best, and can promote fungal foliage issues at worst. If you must use a method that gets foliage wet, do it in the morning when the foliage will usually dry during the day. Foliage that goes wet into a cool night invites spotting, withering, or other issues. While the issues are usually non-mortal, they degrade the look of your landscape.

These principles lead to different guidelines for watering various plants in various environments. For example, Weston Nurseries’ recommended guidelines for watering newly planted trees and shrubs can be found on our website at:

https://www.westonnurseries.com/watering-guidelines/

If you are watering deeply enough, trees and shrubs planted in the ground should not be watered more frequently than once a week. Lawns, shallow-rooted perennials, or container plantings may need more frequent watering.

Share Via:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Print
WESTON NURSERIES

Weston Nurseries is committed to being a center for horticultural knowledge. Enjoy!

SEARCH TOPICS
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
SHOP

Shops Trees, Shrubs, & Perennials – in stores and online.

EXPLORE MORE
PLANT CARE
SOCIAL
SEARCH BY MONTH
Archives
EVENTS & CLASSES

Online Shopping at Weston Nurseries

We are excited to offer two unique opportunities to shop online at Weston Nurseries.

Farm To Door™

WN Online Shopping icons_Ship to Door
Plants shipped directly to you!

Browse our online inventory for a huge selection of plants available to ship directly from the farm to your home! Anywhere in New England!*

Shop Our Garden Centers

WN Online Shopping icons-02
Great for large plants and larger orders!

Shop your local store for plants, garden supplies, soil, mulch and more. Then pick up your order at the garden center or arrange for local drop off!

If you are interested in ordering gift cards, please click here!
*Some restrictions may apply to certain states.

CHRISTMAS TREE SALE

bALSAM fIR cHRISTMAS TREES - WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

Come into any of our garden centers at Hopkinton, Hingham, or Chelmsford starting today, December 15th and save on Balsam Fir Christmas Trees while supplies last!

Also this is the LAST CHANCE to earn Holiday Dollars! (thru Dec 17)

*Sale Fine Print:For “Cash and Carry” transactions only. Offer good while supplies last.

No open orders or deliveries for future dates. All Flash Sale products must be taken the same day. Not valid on previous orders. No transfers allowed between stores on any sale items.

Skip to content