| How and when do I water my plants? |
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Every gardener these days knows the importance of being water-wise in the garden. Here are some helpful hints from The Texture Plants Team. Before You Plant:If you are not planting your plants straight away, your plants will need to be watered daily while they are still in the pots. So it is better to get your garden beds ready for planting before you buy the plants, rather than be holding plants for several days.Planting:Water your plants before you plant them. If the mix is too dry it may fall away and damage the roots. Root damage at the time of planting is a very common cause of plant death. For this reason, you should NOT tease out the roots when you are planting, since this is a sure way to damage or stunt the plants growth. Teasing the roots is an old wives’ tale left over from a bygone era. Modern nursery technology ensures that you should never have to purchase a root-bound plant.Watering-in:What you MUST do when you plant is water-in each plant with about a bucket full of water, as soon as possible after planting. You should plant a few plants, then water them in. DON’T plant the lot, have cup of tea, and then water them in. Even if it’s raining you must still do this. The reason for this watering-in is to settle the soil around the root-ball of the plant. If there is complete contact with the potting mix, moisture from the soil will easily transfer to the roots of the plant. This initial watering will also remove any air pockets in the soil.Immediate After-care:For the first few weeks after planting, your plants will need special attention. The soil must be kept very moist for this period. How often you water them will depend on your soil type, the time of the year and prevailing weather conditions.As a rule of thumb, water your plants every day for the first couple of days, then twice a week for a few weeks, then once a week etc. until they are established. Light sandy soils near the beach will require more water than clay-based soils. Remember plants do need to dry out between watering. If the soil is moist don’t water as there is adequate moisture around the plant. Beware of over watering this is just as bad as letting the plant dry out. It takes about three months to establish a plant, and for this time you will need to monitor them carefully. Most species will give you some warning when they need water – the leaves will wilt, loose there sheen, and there general look of vitality. BE CAREFUL the symptoms for over water are exactly the same as under water. If in doubt dig a small hole near the root zone to inspect the moisture levels. Long Term Maintenance:If, once your plants are established, you continue to water them every few days or even every week, the roots will remain on the surface. This will mean that your plants will blow over easily during a storm and you will not be able to leave them for a couple of weeks without watering.If you want to be able to go away on holidays for a few weeks, and not have to worry about your garden, you must adopt the correct watering regime. The principle is simple:
Points to remember :
How to water specific plants..Succulents –The term succulents covers quite a broad range of plants including Aloe’s, agaves, yuccas, Sempervivum, Crassula, and many more these plants have very specific watering needs which need to be considered when planting in either pots or a garden environment.
Succulents In the garden –The most important thing to remember when planting succulents in the garden is to site them properly. How do I site my succulents properly?
The same as general watering techniques we recommend good deep watering at regular intervals once a week during very hot summer periods. Coming into late summer early autumn we advise you stop watering your succulents all together and rely on mother nature to do the work for you. This will allow your succulents to dry down which will help them cope with the cold Christchurch winters a lot better.
Succulents in pots –The same water rules apply to container gardening as for plants in the garden.
Trees and shrubs –All trees and shrubs need regular water for general growth and well being especially when trying to establish when first planted. The best way to water your trees and shrubs is to.
Citrus trees –Citrus trees are becoming more popular in cooler climates such as Christchurch and because this is not there natural environment there are a few points we have to consider to ensure our favorite citrus will thrive
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