Newly planted trees and shrubs may look stressed by hot and dry weather.
Even with a rainy, wet spring, it doesn’t take many days of hot and dry weather to stress plants, particularly new ones. New shrubs and trees need to send their roots deep into the ground in order to find water on their own. When newly planted, their roots are at the surface of the soil where they are at the mercy of you and the weather for sufficient water. For strong, healthy plants that can survive and thrive, please follow the watering instructions below.
How Do I Water New Plantings?
- Water all plants thoroughly when first planted.
- Soak thoroughly to depth of root ball Deep watering once a week for sandy soils.
- Deep watering every 10 days for clay soils.
- Water more frequently during first month after installation and during unusually hot, dry periods Water with a soaker hose, avoiding light surface sprinkling, or let hose run at a trickle at base of plant for 3-8 hours for thorough watering.
- A 12 hour steady rain substitutes for a normal watering. Thunder showers run off quickly and should not substitute for a thorough soaking. Continue this program until the late fall and then again the following year, if necessary.