Watering Guide:
- It is better to water deeper to thoroughly soak the entire root ball than to water shallow every day. Thorough watering, two to three times per week, promotes root development and cuts down on over watering of plants.
Overwatering can cause plants to die from lack of oxygen in the soil and promotes root diseases. The plant’s root system needs to dry out in between waterings. - Water enough to where you think the entire root ball is wet from the top to the bottom. This is best done by hand watering or using a soaker hose. Do this two to three times a week during the growing season depending upon our rainfall, drying winds and the temperature.
- Shallow watering is usually done with a sprinkler and only wets the top portion of the root system, leaving the crucial bottom portion of the roots dry. If you have a sprinkler system you may need to supplement with hand watering for newly planted plants or during periods of draught and high temperatures.
- Irrigation systems running times need to be tweaked in-between the spring and summer seasons. You may need more watering time per zone as well as to increase the amount of days each zone will run during the dog days of summer. Also you may need to reduce the times on the system as we get into September when the days get shorter and cooler, prior to your system being shut down in November. We can do all of the above.
Fertilization:
- Feed you plant at least twice a year, early spring and mid to late summer with an organic fertilizer that we recommend for specific plants, or at the very least a new top dressing of Cotton Burr Compost or Natures Blend twice a year
Insect and Disease Control:
- A big part of plant health is keeping them free of insects and disease. Early applications are the most effective in preventing a problem from arising.
- We recommend a dormant spray in February as a broad spectrum preventative spray on most everything for a head start on insects and disease.
- Early applications of Neem for example, twice a month in March and April, go a long way in keeping the problem pests away.
- We can help you with other problems that may arise during the growing season. Bring us a sample and we will be glad to help you, or check out our self help videos on our website.
