Watering Guidelines

Watering your new plants, trees and shrubs is essential for the success of your landscape. Follow the guidelines below based on plant type and your landscape will be looking great for years to come.

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General Guidelines

  • Water twice per week for the first two weeks after planting. 
  • After the initial two week timeframe, switch to once per week (dependent on rainfall) for the first season after planting. 
  • Place mulch around the base of plants and trees.  This  helps hold in  moisture longer than bare soil.
  • Keep in mind location!  Plants on the south or west side in the sun will require more watering than plants on the north side or in the shade.
  • After the first full season after installation, plants should be established enough that normal rainfall will take care of watering needs.
  • In a dry period or draught, water once per week after establishment period as needed

Warranty: Wells Hollow Landscaping offers a one-time replacement warranty for trees and shrubs installed by Wells Hollow one year from install date. We cannot warranty plants lost due to acts of God (hail, torrential winds, etc.), over or under watering, insect or animal damage, improper fertilizing and/or chemical damage.  We reserve the right to inspect any warranty claim.

Large deciduous trees and Evergreens

  • Watering large trees too quickly will cause the water to runoff instead of getting to the roots where it belongs.
  • A good practice is to run a hose that is running at a trickle and set it on the ground above the root ball of the tree.  Let water slowly saturate the ground for approximately 10 -15 minutes moving the hose as needed to cover the whole root area.  Tree watering bags also work well.
  • Repeat this every day for the first week after planting.  Week 2-4 decrease frequency 2-3 times per week (two for average temperature, three for hot, dry conditions).  Week 4 until established, one time per week should be sufficient.
  • The total volume of water should be equivalent to 5-10 gallons of water.

Shrubs

  • Water two times per week for about one minute with a hose fitted with a watering wand for the first month after planting
  • Be careful of too much water pressure, this may harm your new plant or move mulch or rock away from the base of the plant, which helps retain moisture.
  • Water around the base of the plant instead of from the top
  • After the month establishment period, decrease watering to one time per week for the first full season after planting if regular rain is not taking place.

Perennials, Ground Covers & Ornamental Grasses

  • Water 2-3 times per week at the base of the plant for 30 second increments with a hose fitted with a watering wand.
  • Some perennials will require more frequent watering until they become established.  Watch for signs of distress such as wilting and adjust accordingly.

New Sod Care

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New sod requires a lot of care for the first season, and sometimes longer, after installation to become established.  Refer to this care guide to give your new sod the best outcome!


Watering your new sod is critical and will be necessary until the root system has become deeply established, usually one full summer.  Occasionally, two summers are required where soil is heavy clay or compacted.  If sod is installed later in the season, care the following year is essential.


First two weeks after installation:


Day 1: Water sod heavily - sod should be thoroughly soaked!  30-80 minutes to a depth of 3-4”. 


Day 2: Week two: Water 2-4 times per day evenly spaced between 7am and 4pm to ensure sod stays evenly moist, not soaked.  The soil should be moist at a depth of 3-4” to encourage deep rooting.


Week 3: Water one time per day (may have to increase with high temperature)


Week 4: Water every other day or less temperature dependent


Week 5: One year after installation:  Water if rain is not present one time per week


Other Tips and FAQ

  • Set your sprinklers or move around to ensure all areas of the lawn are covered uniformly.
  • You can tell when your grass needs watering when it turns from a bright green to a blue or gray green hue. 


Mowing:

  • Allow sod to grow 4 inch to 5 inch before mowing.
  • Set mower to highest setting - no shorter than 3”
  • Sod must  be dry enough to walk on without sinking in before mowing can occur.  We encourage mowing with a hand mower or very carefully with a riding mower (no tight turns, etc to uproot sod),


Fertilizing:

  • Do not fertilize for at least 30 days
  • A turf starter fertilizer is recommended for the first season
  • A good way to remember when to fertilize is every summer holiday (after 30 day window).  Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.


Warranty: After installation, there is no warranty for sod.

Hydro Seeding Care

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Watering

For grass seed to germinate, it must stay moist continuously for four to eight days.  Regular watering when the seed is new will get the best long term results.


For the first seven days, water twice each day. Usually 25–30 minutes on each section of the lawn is average, but your lawn may need more or less depending on slope, soil conditions, and weather. Hot weather may require more frequent watering, for example, and a sloping lawn may need longer, slower watering because of runoff. The lawn should be saturated—wet enough that you can't walk on it without leaving footprints. You may want to start your watering at the point that's farthest from the house and work in, to avoid walking on the wet lawn.


After the first seven days, water heavily, but only the areas where grass is not visible. Where grass has appeared, limit watering to one inch a week, preferably in the morning hours.


After the grass stand is established, normally after 3-4 weeks, water as you would an established lawn, about an inch each week, preferably in the morning hours. You can judge the amount by placing a tuna can, or similar container, in the area being watered. When an inch of water has collected, that area has had enough water, and you are ready to go on to the next area.

Fertilizing

  • The fertilizer applied with the initial seeding will last through the initial growth period.
  • Due to the lack of topsoil, your lawn should be fertilized about six to seven weeks after seeding.  
  • The grass may show spots of yellowing, a sign of nitrogen deficiency, a side effect of heavy watering. New lawns freshly backfilled and graded are often not uniform in soil type, structure or fertility.  This may also contribute to yellowing of the lawn in spots. Unless the weather is hot and dry, a supplementary application of nitrogen when these spots appear will help the grass mature more quickly. 
  • Lawns should be fertilized four to five times a year to become thick and lush.  Wells Hollow Landscaping offers a great fertilizer program to get your lawn looking its best!

Weed Control

  • It is completely normal and expected that there will be weeds in a newly seeded lawn.  Especially when the seeding is done in the spring.
  • The best course of action is to leave the weeds when the seed is getting established, one full growing season.
  • We understand that weeds can be unsightly and a nuisance, but if you give your lawn the time to get established, the weeds can be brought under control when it won’t jeopardize your new grass.
  • Wells Hollow offers a specialized fertilizer program for lawns we have recently seeded.  Please contact our office for more information, or get on our normal 5-step program!

Mowing

  • Make sure your mower blades are sharp.
  • Set your mower height at three inches and leave it there.
  • Bag the clippings. Do not rake newly seeded lawns.
  • Mow your lawn on a regular basis, every seven to ten days, or as growth warrants.

Warranty: Wells Hollow Landscaping provides no warranty for hydro seed.  Please follow the guidelines as mentioned for the best outcome.

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