Gardens By Hilary, Inc.
Plant Watering Instructions

The surest way to kill a plant is to over or under water it.

When watering your new plants, please follow the guidelines below. This system works the best, as it gets water to the ROOTS of the plant, helping to develop a deep and sturdy root system instead of the shallow roots that result from inefficient watering.

When Watering:

  1. Do NOT use a sprinkler.
  2. Use a hose with NO attachment.
  3. Water at the BASE of the plant, never at the top.
  4. Don’t put the hose TOO CLOSE to the trunk or stem of the plant — place the hose out at the root zone (under the widest branches or leaves). Otherwise, you can rot the plant.
  5. Allow the hose to run:
    • For Shrubs, sing ‘Happy Birthday’ SLOWLY(it’s probably best to sing to yourself)
    • For perennials, count to ten SLOWLY(one thousand and one, one thousand and two . . . etc.)
    • For trees, move the hose to different positions around the tree (remember, under the branches, not at the trunk!) Allow a couple of minutes per location.

Gauge your performance regularly to see how well you are watering. Remove the mulch from around the plant and, using your finger or a pencil, see how deep the water is penetrating, and how wet the soil is. Your soil should be wet, but not gloppy.

Use your own judgment… If something looks very wet, don’t water it.

BE SURE to water regularly through the dry summer months. At least twice a week for shrubs and perennials in shade, three times a week for plants in full sun or under competition from nearby trees.
Once Fall comes, you can relax a little, but not too much, as plants need adequate water to carry them through the winter. This is very important.

If you get a good soaking rain, of course, you get to skip a day!

Watering can be tedious, but it also can be a time to relax and reflect on the beauty of your garden.

p.s. Special note on Hydrangeas: Hydrangeas can experience ‘heat droop’ during the day. This is normal and a response to extreme heat and/or sunlight. If your Hydrangea is droopy during the day, but perks up at night or in the morning, it is receiving adequate moisture. If it stills looks droopy in the morning, go ahead and water.

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