Virtually all plant materials are in high gear right now and need regular, adequate, but not excessive watering.  Newer plantings from spring and early summer are particularly vulnerable, and also those planted last fall that barely got a start on growing / establishing new roots. 

Demands on plants are great because we have very long days, temperatures are higher, and plants are genetically programmed to be super active.  The key to meeting the needs of plant materials is to provide adequate and frequent waterings of modest amounts.  Never water so heavily that you super saturate the ground and drive all the oxygen out of the soil.  Super-saturated soils can easily cause the plant roots to begin rotting, which leads to plant death.

Since the April through June period has been quite wet and cool, it would be easy to make the mistake of thinking you won’t have to water.  Newer plantings still have small root systems that need frequent watering during their first full summer.  As the growing season progresses and root systems get larger, you can water a little less often, but should still water every 3 to 7 days with moderate amounts of a known quantity.

The problem with allowing a hose to run slowly at the base of a new plant is that you will have no idea how much water the plant received, and could easily apply too much water and super-saturate the soil.

Apply measured amounts frequently and your plants will be happy.  If you want a guideline for just how much water to apply, check out our watering chart found under the instructions tab.