Plants Need Water
Make sure your trees and plants receive enough water during the growing season. How much is ‘enough’? To understand how much water a tree, shrub, or perennial needs, use this as a guideline: a plant requires at least the same amount of water as the size of the rootball or container at the time of planting, at least three times per week (more during times of drought), for the first growing season to establish strong roots.
For Example
If a flowering shrub was purchased in a three-gallon container, you’ll need at least three gallons of water directly to the plant roots three times per week for the first growing season. In times of drought and heat, you may need to water daily. After the first growing season, you can reduce watering to twice per week unless, of course, there is a drought again, then you’ll need to water more. When a plant starts to wilt, it needs water!
When you think roots, think Carrots!
I think the best example of root growth is carrots. When carrots receive just a little bit of water on the soil surface and not a good, deep soaking, they tend to grow short and fat. If carrots receive a good, deep watering where the soil is well-saturated, they tend to grow bigger, longer and stronger.
Why? Because roots do best when they have to hunt a bit for water. When plant roots get a light, frequent sprinkling of water, they tend to develop small, shallow roots that don’t tend to spread in the ground. Whereas plants that receive a deep, long watering directly to their roots every other day or so develop deep, far-reaching roots. Deep roots are better able to support healthy plant growth. Simply put – the more extensive and strong the plant’s roots, the greater their ability to take up water and nutrients to support leaf, flower, and fruit growth.
Plant Nutrients
If you haven’t fed your plants lately, May is a good time to complete this task. You can apply an All-Purpose Granular feed to your garden plants (shrubs, perennials and grasses) and apply a Tree and Shrub granular feed to your deciduous and coniferous trees. All fertilizers need to be watered in well after application. Water by hand with a garden hose. Don’t rely on a lawn sprinkler or rain to water in fertilizers.
How To
Fertilizer can be applied around the plant root zone by side-dressing. Perennials need only a couple of tablespoons of fertilizer, whereas trees do best with a couple of cups. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application rates. Make sure your granular feed doesn’t end up clustered in the crown of plants, as this can burn foliage. If your plants are struggling in the summer, you can apply a water-soluble fertilizer once a week for 3 to 4 weeks to give plants a boost.
Growing Big Roots
We spend way too much time thinking about how pretty the top part of the plant is—pretty flowers and attractive leaves—and not enough time thinking about how very, very important plant roots are to healthy growth. If you work to develop strong roots through proper watering techniques and feeding practices, plants will naturally develop pretty leaves and flowers.
Plants can survive without feeding; they cannot survive without water.
A lack of water makes plants more prone to diseases and pests, producing fewer or smaller blooms and having weak stem and leaf growth. Many plants have perished because they didn’t get sufficient water at the time of planting and during their first growing season. I know this from personal experience. If you want to grow healthy, vigorous plants with an abundance of blooms, you need to promote healthy, strong, deep roots
Think Roots First!
Lexi Dearborn
The Gabby Gardener