Hoy Landscaping Inc Watering Recommendations

Ensure Your Lawn and Plantings Thrive

Lawns and plantings will thrive when they are properly watered. Ensure that happens in your yard with helpful watering recommendations offered by Hoy Landscaping Inc.

Turf Seed

Because there are no roots and the seed is exposed to air, watering must be done very lightly and very frequently. Ideally, seed should receive a fine “mist” type watering whereby the moisture gently falls onto the seed bed. If not able to use a hand mist system, then a light sprinkler system will do fine as well.

Do not water with a rapid stream that could wash the seed, and do not water to the point of causing rapid runoff. New seed should be watered in this manner daily such that the first one inch of soil receives moisture.

New Sod

First Two Weeks After Installation

• Proper watering is essential to the establishment (rooting) of your new sod.
• As a general rule, keep sod and soil moist all throughout the morning. Approximately ½” of water daily each morning should be sufficient. Allow it to begin drying out as evening approaches. Wet leaves overnight can attract fungal diseases. Adjust for location, sprinklers, and temperature. Areas adjacent to concrete walls and sidewalks will dry more quickly due to heat absorption.
• Stay off new sod until after the first mowing.
• Try cutting back the frequency of watering just before the first mow to firm up the soil.       
• First mow is approximately 14 days after installation. Gently “pull” on the grass blades to see if roots have taken a firm hold.
• Mowing high is least stressful to the new sod. Never mow off more than one-third of the grass blade.

Three to Four Weeks After Installation

• Re-adjust your watering clock or timer. Reduce frequency of waterings gradually after each mowing, while increasing minutes per watering.
• Deeper, less frequent soakings will help roots grow deeper and establish more quickly into the soil. Pull or tug on turf to check rooting.
  

New Shrubs and Trees

Trees and shrubs are best watered by using a slow-running hose with the water being applied directly to the base of the plant. This is best done in the morning and should be done three to four times a week for the first three weeks, then two to three times a week for the next three weeks. As time goes forward, you should decrease the number of waterings but increase the amount of time for each watering. Long, deeper watering sessions become more important to encourage deep root growth.

Important note: DO NOT rely on rainfall for watering your plants. Unless you receive an all-day rain, just pretend it didn’t happen. Most rainfall only moistens the first couple inches of soil, and much of the harder rains simply runoff and do very little for the deeper-rooted plants.

For new plantings, here are some time guidelines. Adjust as needed for temperature and conditions at your particular location:

Smaller shrubs - five to seven minutes, three to four times per week

Small trees and ornamentals: five to ten minutes, three times per week

Larger trees: ten-15 minutes, three times per week

After the initial six weeks, you may reduce the watering to a couple times per week. Again, deeper but less frequent watering is the long-term goal here. 

Annuals, Perennials, and Groundcovers

These are shallow-rooted plants with roots typically only a few inches under the soil when first planted. Therefore, they will dry out very quickly if proper care is not given.

We recommend daily watering for the first two weeks following installation. A general sprinkler will suffice so long as all locations are being watered with the sprinkler pattern.

Make sure the timing is sufficient such that the first six inches of soil are moistened. Morning time is best for watering.

After the first two weeks, you can cut back to every other day if temperatures are mild. If temperatures exceed 85 degrees or if leaf wilting is observed, continue the daily watering cycle.

A Note about Mulch

Mulch will greatly improve your hardier plants - trees, shrubs, and most perennials. A good layer of mulch will keep your soil from drying out as quickly, helping regulate and even out the high and low moisture levels. Plus, it looks great!