Winter Watering

Winter watering is important. The guides below are just guides. How much water will all depend on temperature and wind. Some years you will need more and some less. Mother Nature will also help us out by snow fall.

I usually use the guide that if it snows 3 inches or more it will soak in, and under 3 inches will evaporate before it has a chance to soak in. Time slips by so fast that we feel we don’t need to water but then realize it has been 14 days since it snowed, and we only got 2 inches of snow, and the wind has been blowing with a 55 degree temperature.

Winter watering helps plants by preventing root damage and affects the overall health of the entire plant. Winter watering is a good pro-active tool to prevent insects like mites that will feed on the plant in the winter without you knowing until it is too late and the plant has turned brown. Winter watering should only be done when the air temperatures are above 40 degrees with no snow cover. Watering should also be slow and have a chance to soak in.

Lawns

Water your lawn once or twice a month in the fall/winter. Use a rain gauge or something to gauge how much water you are putting down. Established lawns need ¼ inch each watering each time and newly seeded or sodded might need more and maybe more frequently. Water helps strengthen the grass to help fight the cold.

Trees

Newly planted trees usually takes a year to get established and might need a little help in the winter until their roots have fully established and can search for their own water. A tree will need 10 gallons of water each month for each inch of diameter. Just as a reminder, diameter is the width of the tree trunk 4 feet above the ground.

Wrapping your trees in November thru March is another good thing for trees with a thin bark. Tree wrap doesn’t water the tree but prevents the bark from sun scald. Young trees should be wrapped from the ground to the first or second set of branches and can be wrapped with pretty much anything. Tree wrap doesn’t keep the trunk warm, it just reflects the sun so the bark doesn’t blister.

Shrubs and roses

Newly planted and small existing shrubs will need 5 gallons of water monthly and larger shrubs that are 5 feet or more, 10 gallons.

Perennials

Water perennials a couple times a month with about 1 gallon of water each time. Hosing your evergreens off with water can help. The water can be absorbed through the needles and also helps wash off the plant to rid it of pollution, dust and bugs. Remember to water under the evergreen if you have plants planted around the tree. The canopy of a evergreen will prevent snow from getting to the plants.

Products like Wilt-Pruf or Wilt Stop will help plants in the winter especially if it is windy. The product is applied after the plant has been watered. In the case of evergreens, I like to spray the evergreen down with water, which will be absorbed by the needles, then follow up with a water/wilt-pruf mixture and let it dry, sealing in the moisture like what chap stick does for your lips. Wilt-Pruf works by forming a clear, protective coating on foliage that helps plants to retain moisture. The coating is flexible and does not interfere with plant growth. Wilt-Pruf is organic, non-toxic and is biodegradable.

Your sprinkler systems are hopefully blown out by December so you might have to drag a hose to get the job done. Make sure you disconnect the hose from the faucet when you are finished.