Hyannis Country Garden - Watering New Plants

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Published: Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:26:18

How you care for the things you've just planted can be a matter of life or death!

Have you ever planted a seedling, newly purchased perennial, or shrub , and then thought to yourself, “I don’t have to water…it’s supposed to rain tonight”?

Yes, we’ve all done it, but it’s so hard on the plants! It’s far wiser to take that extra few minutes to drag out the hose or the watering can. This small effort may mean life or death for the plant you’ve just put into the ground.

When we place a plant in the soil the roots are always disturbed to some degree, and the planting area has been churned up as well. Because of the disruption of our digging, pockets of air are left around the plant’s roots. These air spaces cause the roots to dry more quickly than those on an established plant. Watering settles the soil and the plant, forces out extra air, and moistens the roots.

Let’s face it… weather forecasts are notoriously inaccurate. If it ends up raining after all, your plants will be doubly blessed, and if Mother Nature doesn’t come through, the new additions to your yard or garden will still be well hydrated…and alive.