[Arid_gardener] Re: Irrigating New Plants

[Olin Miller]

Watering frequency depends on the type of soil, temperature, wind exposure
and some other factors.  As a rule of thumb, your plants should be watered
whenever the soil dries out to the top two inches - roughly the second joint
from the fingertip.  For new plants, the water should penetrate to slightly
deeper than the root ball.  This can be measured by inserting a slender
steel rod at the root ball - it should penetrate easily to the required
depth.  For most trees and shrubs, watering with lawn sprinklers results in
too frequent and too shallow watering.

It is not unusual for the top growth of established bougainvilleas to die
back for only light freezes or completely to the ground for the hard freezes
like this winter's.  They almost always recover with more bracts than
before.  But newly planted bougainvilleas might have a harder time
recovering.  Your comment suggests that the top growth froze dead but the
roots may still be alive.  I would give it another month or so before giving
up on it.

Olin
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----- Original Message ----- From: <yafadance at yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 4:21 PM
> Dianna,  85022,  yafadance at yahoo.com
> I am confused about how much water to give newly planted xeriscape plants.
> They are on a 2 gph dripper system. A few are near sprinklers.
> Also, my newly planted bougenvilla does not look as happy as when I
> brought it home. The bracts are dry and crack off when you touch them. Is
> it dead?