Every year I find a new topic that I need help with.
This year, watering.
I know so much depends on lack of rain (weather in general), what each particular plant needs as per plant.
My beds are large. It takes a lot of my time to water, as I water each plant everyday. Directly to the plant with my hose nozzle. My grasses are growing out of control and at 7-8ft, they start to lean by Mid August. I think I should water them less. I flood them everyday. I was also reading if I lay back on the twice a summer fertilizer, that should also keep their growth to a minimum as well. I’d be more than happy with 6 ft high.
So, watering everyday, and lots of fertilizer causes grasses to also grow too high. I need to stop spoiling them?
What is typical if watering via hose, not sprinkler, per week. Temps averaging 80 degrees. Not just grasses, but dappled willows as well. Pruning every couple of weeks. Back breaking for me.
****Primary reason for posting....is loading up on water everyday too much, hense too much growth, not recommended? Twice a week? Anybody? Same dilemma on the shakeable Preen fertilizer. Do not ( my choice) fertilize plants that grow too quickly? Garden is 3 yrs old ( 450sq ft ) and out of control. Mostly sunny to one side, mostly cloudy on the other side and they meet at partly sunny in the middle. ( 90 ft X 4-5 ft )
Planning to do some relocating where some may be better off this spring. All color comes from potted annuals, which I do water twice a day, as it is needed.
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Kittyluvr400
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rainbowgardener
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Yup, watering daily, except maybe in extreme heat and drought (80 deg does not count!) is way too much. Water thoroughly / deeply and a lot less often. Watering deeply then letting it dry out for awhile encourages deeper rooting. Watering daily encourages the roots to stay at the surface where they are more vulnerable.
If you water well, the grass shouldn't need any more than once a week watering, if that. If the willow trees are well established (not new babies), they should need no added water. Willow trees have roots to forever.
Are you talking ornamental grasses or lawn or both? Personally, I never water lawn. It seems too wasteful. It will dry up and go dormant in a hot dry summer, but then will come back when the rains return.
Lawn grass is usually fertilized twice a year, spring and fall. So that should be plenty for the ornamental grass also. No point at all in fertilizing willow tree. You are putting fertilizer mainly in the top 6" The roots where the tree is getting its nutrients are many feet down:
"The crown of the weeping willow, when fully grown, can spread as much as 35 to 40 feet across. The root system, however, will grow at least this far, and will extend as deeply into the ground as the willow rises up." https://sciencing.com/root-system-weepi ... 00180.html
If you water well, the grass shouldn't need any more than once a week watering, if that. If the willow trees are well established (not new babies), they should need no added water. Willow trees have roots to forever.
Are you talking ornamental grasses or lawn or both? Personally, I never water lawn. It seems too wasteful. It will dry up and go dormant in a hot dry summer, but then will come back when the rains return.
Lawn grass is usually fertilized twice a year, spring and fall. So that should be plenty for the ornamental grass also. No point at all in fertilizing willow tree. You are putting fertilizer mainly in the top 6" The roots where the tree is getting its nutrients are many feet down:
"The crown of the weeping willow, when fully grown, can spread as much as 35 to 40 feet across. The root system, however, will grow at least this far, and will extend as deeply into the ground as the willow rises up." https://sciencing.com/root-system-weepi ... 00180.html
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Kittyluvr400
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I agree with a caveat. You should water as needed. If you have plants in small containers, very young plants and well drained soil you may actually have to water those things more often than plants that are well established with a deep mature root system,
The kind of soil you have, wind, sun, temperature and time of year also needs to be taken into consideration. Plants in summer with a lot of windy dry conditions will need more water at that time but less in a rainy season.
Established grass and trees benefit from slow deep watering that is infrequent say once or twice a week in soils that can retain moisture well (I.e. not sandy soil with little organic matter) Shallow watering encourages shallow roots and since the soil dries out from the top down, shallow rooted plants will show signs of stress sooner. Deep watering encourages roots to go deeper and those plants are more resilient in drought conditions
As to fertilizer, I would do a soil test every 3 years or so and only use the fertilizer you need to use. Over fertilizing can be harmful to the environment as it leaches into the water system. I only fertilize plants when they are actively growing and I use fertilizers with low numbers and slow nitrogen.
I don't like to mow grass either, so I do dethatch aerate, top dress and fertilize my small patch of grass, but if it makes me mow more than I want, I will skip the next fertilizer and only dethatch, aerate,and top dress. I only fertlize in the Spring and again in the fall when there is more rain.
I used to miracle grow the entire yard every two weeks until I had 42 days and nights of rain. I found out the orchids actually bloomed better the next year. The year after it did not bloom as well, so I did have to do some fertilizing, just not that much.
I have done soil tests every 3 years for about 10 years now. Except for compost and nitrogen, and some complete fertilizer for potted plants, I have not had to add a lot of fertilizer. The phosphorus,potassium and micros are all in the high range although the phosphorus has finally dropped from 2100+ to about 1600 ppm. It will take a few more years and a lot of compost to bring that down to the 37 ppm I actually need. The compost does add phosphorus but it also helps keep it from binding with aluminum which is the problem with my soil type.
The kind of soil you have, wind, sun, temperature and time of year also needs to be taken into consideration. Plants in summer with a lot of windy dry conditions will need more water at that time but less in a rainy season.
Established grass and trees benefit from slow deep watering that is infrequent say once or twice a week in soils that can retain moisture well (I.e. not sandy soil with little organic matter) Shallow watering encourages shallow roots and since the soil dries out from the top down, shallow rooted plants will show signs of stress sooner. Deep watering encourages roots to go deeper and those plants are more resilient in drought conditions
As to fertilizer, I would do a soil test every 3 years or so and only use the fertilizer you need to use. Over fertilizing can be harmful to the environment as it leaches into the water system. I only fertilize plants when they are actively growing and I use fertilizers with low numbers and slow nitrogen.
I don't like to mow grass either, so I do dethatch aerate, top dress and fertilize my small patch of grass, but if it makes me mow more than I want, I will skip the next fertilizer and only dethatch, aerate,and top dress. I only fertlize in the Spring and again in the fall when there is more rain.
I used to miracle grow the entire yard every two weeks until I had 42 days and nights of rain. I found out the orchids actually bloomed better the next year. The year after it did not bloom as well, so I did have to do some fertilizing, just not that much.
I have done soil tests every 3 years for about 10 years now. Except for compost and nitrogen, and some complete fertilizer for potted plants, I have not had to add a lot of fertilizer. The phosphorus,potassium and micros are all in the high range although the phosphorus has finally dropped from 2100+ to about 1600 ppm. It will take a few more years and a lot of compost to bring that down to the 37 ppm I actually need. The compost does add phosphorus but it also helps keep it from binding with aluminum which is the problem with my soil type.
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Kittyluvr400
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- Joined: Thu May 19, 2016 7:21 pm
- Location: South central Long Island, NY. Zone 7