How to get the most out of your new plants

Creating your new look garden is an exciting time of the year. Planting is a task that all of the family can become involved in. However, we are often asked ‘how regularly do I need to water my new plants?’

It’s a question that doesn’t have the one simple answer but we understand why we are frequently asked this. As such, we thought we’d summarise our depth of knowledge into one useful blog. If you’re reading this thinking ‘but my garden isn’t ready for planting yet’ then don’t fear, in our last blog we talked about how to prepare your garden for Spring.

Watering Plants During the 1st Year

Naturally, most people plant in late March through to the end of April, when the weather is really starting to make a turn for the better.

Whilst planting you need to water your plants twice: first, as soon as they are planted, allowing the water to soak in before watering again until your soil has been thoroughly moistened.

For the first seven days after planting we recommend watering your plants daily, depending on the amount of rainfall. You should also focus your watering on the plant base, this is because newly planted roots will only absorb moisture from the small surrounding area until they have had chance to grow.

If there are only one or two new plants in your garden it’s good practice to just focus on watering these, to ensure you are not over watering already established plants. Additionally, you must be careful with your watering: do not burst water onto the base of the plant as this will quickly make the soil erode.

From week two onward your roots will grow and be able to access nutrients from a wider area of soil. This allows you to decrease your watering, typically to a couple of times a week, unless the weather becomes exceedingly hot and dry.

Expert tip: Where possible, always water deeper in the soil and ensure that you adjust your watering to mirror the weather. More rain, less watering required. Less rain, more watering required.

Watering During Years 2 & 3

Heading into the second year, it’s useful to understand your soil texture and conditions. This will allow you to better adjust your watering frequency to suit various different soil types and plants.

As always, if you can water deeply, your plants will thrive more as this ensures the water and nutrients are targeting the roots. Depending on the weather, you should only need to water once or twice per week even in dry conditions.

Handy tip: You should look to add a layer of mulch to the surface soil as this helps the conservation of soil moisture, improve the fertility and health of the soil, reduces growth of weeds and enhances the appearance of your garden.

Watering After Year 3

If you have treated and looked after your plants during their establishment, your garden should now be flourishing. Meaning you should only have to water once per week, unless you selected drought tolerant plants which may not require any watering – depending on conditions.

Also, selecting plants based on the soil conditions in your garden and watering according to our guidelines during establishment results in a healthier growth. This means you may only need to tender to your plants a couple of times a month.

Reminder: deep watering is always more beneficial!

Container Plants

Container plants are a valuable addition to any home, they can brighten up unused and empty corners as well as providing greenery to those areas that may be fully paved. However, they do require a lot more attention especially when it comes to watering.

During the summer you must check and water them daily - especially unglazed clay pots as these are more prone to drying up in the sun than plastic pots. The best way to investigate whether your pot needs watering or not is to feel around an inch deep into the soil, if it’s dry, add water, if it’s moist no need to add water.

Typically, you will be watering once per day and during really hot days, twice. You should be pouring enough water into your container pots that some leaks out of the drain holes at the bottom. If your container reaches the extremes of soil falling away from the edge or your plant begins to wilt, you must immediately place this into a bucket of water and allow to soak.

Top tip: Water your plants in the early morning or during the evening so less water is lost due to evaporation, which also helps protect against fungus.

Eco-Friendly Watering

At SPA Landscaping we like to do our bit for the Earth where possible, from using eco-friendly and chemical free machines to recycling. With this in-mind, we’re more than happy to share tips to help you become eco-friendlier around the garden.

Collect rainwater to water your plants during the dry Summer months: a very useful practice is to install a water butt that collects rain water through drain pipes during the wetter months. Even if your drain pipe is closed, it’s easier than you think to divert the rain water with a rain water diverter kit. Water butts can be purchased from your local DIY store.

Understanding the watering requirements of your plants: generally speaking, established trees and shrubs do not require watering thanks to their wide-ranging roots. So, getting to fully understand the watering requirements of your plants could actually save you time and effort.

Watering deep into the soil: not only is watering deep into the soil the best practice for your plants, it’s also eco-friendly as you’ll need to use less water to get to the roots.

Planting between Autumn and Spring: the time your plants require the most watering is during the planting and establishment. Naturally, if you plant during the Summer, you’ll have to water much more frequently than during Autumn and Winter. Also, planting throughout the colder months is healthier for your plants as they’re under less stress thanks to the cooler temperatures.

Now you’re well on your way to having a garden prepped and ready for the upcoming months as well as developing an understanding into the most efficient watering frequencies.

If there is anything in particular you would like us to help you with when it comes to garden and landscape maintenance please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0114 269 9119. Alternatively, you can email our team on info@spalandscaping.co.uk