Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 May 08, 2009 5:52 pm hi all.. I just had my front/backyard done with large area of paving and some plants. Just wondering how frequent I should water the plants? and how much each time? the plants i have are as follows: 1. golden diosma 2. Charlie 3. rose 4. englis box 5. camellia.. i did a bit of research which says that i need to water them everyday for the 1st week, every two days for the 2nd week etc. and once a week after the 7th week. does this sound right? thx Re: New to gardening.. 2May 08, 2009 6:07 pm Hi, To me this sounds about right but I would probably water them twice a week to be safe but all these things depend on the weather and hot it is and how much it rains etc. This is because you got to remember one of the main uses for water for a plant is to cool itself. Glen Re: New to gardening.. 3May 09, 2009 1:56 am Not sure about the others but diosmas will certainly survive on only weekly watering once established. Not sure where you live netvista but fair bet you get more rainfall than we do, diosmas are very popular here, I have had several myself and we only get 7 inches annual rainfall a year and temps on average several degrees hotter than Adelaide. They are a very easy plant to grow Re: New to gardening.. 4May 09, 2009 10:48 am What you are asking is how long is a piece of string You see plants just don't work on the theory that I am "x" plant and I need 2 mins of water People work like that though Eg. I have two soils at mine. The back is a deep rich organic soil. It has not needed water in nearly a month and we have not had any rain in that time. It is well mulched with green mulch. The front is water repellent sand and has had it's structure improved. It needs water 2 times a week but I have it down to 3mm each time. In nurseries you can have the same plant in two locations. One may require water 4 times a day, the other only once. The best way to tell if your garden needs water is to stick your finger in. If it is dry it needs water, if it is cool and moist, it's fine Avoid watering with a hose because you will use water at a greater rate than the soil can absorb. If you are restricted to watering that way, as in the Eastern States ( in Mexico on the other side of the boarder from WA ) then less more often is the key. Never mulch with black composted mulches! Use heavy layers of freshly mulched plant and tree waste. It also returns organic material back into the soil. Don't use weed mat unless laying pebbles on a path. *As a side note, did you know that hand watering doesn't "save" water at all in reality. Irrigation is far far superior in watering a garden in it's efficiency on many levels provided it is not junk irrigation as a few major outlets sell. If every person was to handwater their garden, a whole cities water consumption would go through the roof!!! In a big way. The concept works on the theory that people are lazy and just won't be bothered to do it. Where are you located because that makes a difference. The plants you have selected are very water hungry if you want them to be in tip top health. The diosma is maybe the best of them but the rose is the one that will get by with hardly any. Feed your soil, the more organic material you put in and less fertiliser you use, the more water the soil will hold and stronger the root systems will be, which means less water is used overall. Lots of seasol and powerfeed to get the roots and soil healthy too Healthy soil = healthy plants and a happy you Check these WA based links. The info will still be applicable to you in "Melbourne?" http://www.watercorporation.com.au/W/wa ... -4578-9019 http://www.watercorporation.com.au/W/wa ... getown.cfm Re: New to gardening.. 7May 09, 2009 3:23 pm Fu Manchu What you are asking is how long is a piece of string The best way to tell if your garden needs water is to stick your finger in. If it is dry it needs water, if it is cool and moist, it's fine -> I am in Mel. My landscaper said i need to water all my plants everyday for the 1st week regardless; to establish them i suppose ? i checked the garden beds this morning and it was pretty cool and moist, do i still need to water them as advised or stick to the 'finger rule' ? Feed your soil, the more organic material you put in and less fertiliser you use, the more water the soil will hold and stronger the root systems will be, which means less water is used overall. Lots of seasol and powerfeed to get the roots and soil healthy too -> My soil at the front is pretty poor and my landscaper said i would need to put cow manure every 3-4 months. what can i do to improve the quality? Healthy soil = healthy plants and a happy you Re: New to gardening.. 8May 09, 2009 3:26 pm Helyn Not sure about the others but diosmas will certainly survive on only weekly watering once established. They are a very easy plant to grow thx for the info.. i hope they are easy to maintain and grow as well. that's partily why i chose them. how long does it take for diosmas to establish ? a week? Re: New to gardening.. 9May 10, 2009 12:42 am netvista Helyn Not sure about the others but diosmas will certainly survive on only weekly watering once established. They are a very easy plant to grow thx for the info.. i hope they are easy to maintain and grow as well. that's partily why i chose them. how long does it take for diosmas to establish ? a week? No It will take to at least summer before your young garden can start being on it's own. It will still then need a helping hand on the hot days. They year following will be when the root mass has increased enough to be able be established. The soil is moist, that is all your plants need. Anything more can make the oxygen spaces smaller and slow growth or in extreme cases cause rotting. Just stick to the rule of sticking your finger in the soil It's better than what a book will tell you or even some fancy moisture meter. Best thing is we are are born with fingers just for this purpose Re: New to gardening.. 10May 10, 2009 1:29 am I received rose plant couple years ago but it died. I thinkg it's my second time to have a rose plant but failed to grow one. Until last year, my mom brought a a pot of rose with single stem. It looks dry, I thought it will not live. Suddenly after a month a rose bud blooms. I am so excited to see the flower. I even take a picture of it. Re: New to gardening.. 11May 10, 2009 11:17 am 9finances I received rose plant couple years ago but it died. I thinkg it's my second time to have a rose plant but failed to grow one. Until last year, my mom brought a a pot of rose with single stem. It looks dry, I thought it will not live. Suddenly after a month a rose bud blooms. I am so excited to see the flower. I even take a picture of it. You say your "mom". Are you in the US? We are a long way from home for you Re: New to gardening.. 12May 11, 2009 12:11 am Fu Manchu netvista Helyn Not sure about the others but diosmas will certainly survive on only weekly watering once established. They are a very easy plant to grow thx for the info.. i hope they are easy to maintain and grow as well. that's partily why i chose them. how long does it take for diosmas to establish ? a week? No It will take to at least summer before your young garden can start being on it's own. It will still then need a helping hand on the hot days. They year following will be when the root mass has increased enough to be able be established. The soil is moist, that is all your plants need. Anything more can make the oxygen spaces smaller and slow growth or in extreme cases cause rotting. Just stick to the rule of sticking your finger in the soil It's better than what a book will tell you or even some fancy moisture meter. Best thing is we are are born with fingers just for this purpose thx Fu, it's gonna 4 days rain here in Mel.. i guess not much watering i need to do then. Re: New to gardening.. 13May 25, 2009 12:55 am netvista Fu Manchu What you are asking is how long is a piece of string The best way to tell if your garden needs water is to stick your finger in. If it is dry it needs water, if it is cool and moist, it's fine -> I am in Mel. My landscaper said i need to water all my plants everyday for the 1st week regardless; to establish them i suppose ? i checked the garden beds this morning and it was pretty cool and moist, do i still need to water them as advised or stick to the 'finger rule' ? Feed your soil, the more organic material you put in and less fertiliser you use, the more water the soil will hold and stronger the root systems will be, which means less water is used overall. Lots of seasol and powerfeed to get the roots and soil healthy too -> My soil at the front is pretty poor and my landscaper said i would need to put cow manure every 3-4 months. what can i do to improve the quality? Healthy soil = healthy plants and a happy you The soil out the front will also benefit from much more than that Certified organic soils are an excellent place to start, be it building a new bed or trying to freshen an existing one. check some of these tips, there's loads of ideas. 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