SPRINGFIELD NURSERY, INC.

Watering Recommendations

Water is an essential part of any plant's survival. All nursery grown plants are kept watered on a regular basis. You should strive to maintain this habit by monitoring your plants, and keeping them reasonably moist during those times of the year when plants require moisture. This can be as soon as late winter (early March) and extending to late fall (early December) depending on average daytime and night time temperatures. New plantings require monitoring and regular watering for several years until they become established. Even after this period they may require additional watering during drought conditions.

When watering, you should thoroughly saturate the plant's root system. The amount of water will vary depending upon the size of the plant, the plant's exposure to wind and sun, and the time of the year. As a rule of thumb, plants should be watered approximately twice a week when the ground is dry and plants are actively growing. Do not water every day, and do not allow the roots to become dry for any extended amount of time during the first year. Even plants that are drought resistant require monitoring until they become established. Smaller rooted plants such as Ground covers, seasonal flowers, perennials, sod and grass seed as well as well as raised beds, pots and planters may require more frequent watering as they tend to dry out more quickly.

By maintaining the level of mulch around your plants, soil moisture level is retained, along with a more consistent ground temperature. However do not allow mulch to touch the base of the plant stem as this may promote bark decay and insect infestation.

Trees: Thoroughly soak the root system with a garden hose. This may only take two or three minutes per tree. Vary watering time according to the tree size. Stop watering if water permeates above ground.

Shrubs: Individual watering is best with a garden hose, approximately one minute per plant. Vary time according to plant size. Porous soaker hoses intertwined around shrubs can provide efficient application while conserving water.

Flower beds, ground covers, grass seed and sod will require more frequent watering (quite possibly daily) until established. Watering with an overhead sprinkler is a good way to get proper coverage but should be closely monitored to conserve water and prevent runoff.