Top houseplant watering myths

By Irene Shonle, Director CSU Extension in Gilpin County

I live in the mountains, and both March and April can be frustrating for a gardener’s soul. I see reports of crocuses and snowdrops down below, but we are still white and frozen up here. This is when I turn to houseplants to save my sanity. 

Late winter houseplants at my house

Houseplants can be such a boon for the winter-weary, but they can also pose frustration for those who have trouble keeping them going.  In this post, I am going to bust the top three myths that lead to poor watering habits (probably the number one killer of plants).

The most pervasive myth is that you should always add a layer of gravel or other coarse material at the bottom of pots to improve drainage.  This is an extremely common recommendation, and while it seems plausible, it actually does the exact opposite! Soil scientists have known for at least the past hundred years that water does not move easily from layers of finer textured materials to layers of more coarse textured. Instead, the water will not move from the finer material to the coarser until the finer soil is completely saturated. This is called a perched water table. Bottom line- your entire pot should have the same high-quality soil in it, and nothing else. If you need to improve drainage, mix perlite in the soil throughout the pot. Also, make sure there is a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot, though, or the lack of drainage could cause root rot.

 

 In the cup on the left which is filled entirely with potting soil, water sits at the base of the container while, in the cup on the right which was filled halfway with gravel, water sits above the gravel - From The Garden Professors Facebook page

The second most common myth is that you should always water on a schedule.  This is popular because it’s easy, but it does serve your plants well. For one thing, plants often need less water in the cooler, darker days of winter – perhaps a plant that needs watering every couple of days in the summer might go a week in the winter without needing it. For another thing, if you have many houseplants, they may not all need the same schedule of watering. Some might need a drink every couple of days while others would prefer not to be watered more than every couple of weeks. My orchid cactus will only come into bloom in the early spring if I don’t water it at all starting in November! There are other plants that respond to dry periods with a flush of blooms, and still others that won’t flower unless kept consistently moist. Get to know the needs of each plant, and cater to those. Don’t water any plant if the soil is already quite moist – poke your finger in the soil to see if it needs water or not.

The final myth of today is that droopy plants always mean it’s time to water. If the finger test mentioned above indicates a very dry soil, then yes, water quickly before you lose the plant.  But double check before you water – plants that are developing root rot due to too much water will also droop, and water is the last thing they need!

So You Did Some Landscaping

Posted by: Andie Wommack, Douglas County Extension

Earlier in the season, I gave you some things to consider when doing landscape work. One thing many people tend to do is place their plants too close together. When planning out your landscape it is important to consider the size your plants will be at maturity.

There are several websites that have landscape plans for you to use in your yard. They are all mapped out with the plants at maturity. When the landscape is first installed it will look sparse. It is important not to crowd your plants as that may cause problems down the line. While there are many tools available online to help you plan your own landscape, another option that is always good is to consult a landscape designer with help in renovating your landscape.

With any luck, the plants will be happy in their new homes and you should see nice growth as they begin to establish themselves. Some of the plants will die for a variety of reasons. One of the problems we had with the landscape we installed at our office was rabbits. Several of our new plants got eaten clear down to the ground. Some were able to recover. Others we will have to replant next spring. One thing we tried that seemed to work fairly well was to apply Liquid Fence, Deer and Rabbit Repellant granules. This seemed to help.

Another problem we had was too much water. Thankfully, we were spared the severe hail storms that plagued the rest of the front range this summer, but we did receive a lot of rain. This caused several of our plants to decline and some died. To compound this issue, one of the sprinkler heads got damaged at some point and was no longer pointed at the correct angle, causing some areas to receive too much water and others not enough.

Irrigation is more often than not the culprit in landscape issues. Too much. Too little. Inadequate coverage. Water needs fluctuate throughout the growing season and as plants grow and mature. It is important to check your system periodically to make sure all of the heads are working correctly, pointed in the right direction, and are reaching all the areas they are meant to. As a landscape matures, plants may begin to impede the stream from your sprinkler heads, lawnmowers may tilt the heads up or down, or heads may become clogged or damaged in other ways.

Gardening in Colorado can be particularly challenging so the most important thing to remember is to not give up! If you are having problems, your local Extension office is there to help! Many have Colorado Master Gardeners available to answer questions or your local horticulture agent is there as a resource as well.

Gardening for Drought Conditions

Here in Western Colorado we only got ½ of our average moisture last year and we are not doing any better this year.  Although the North and East portion of the state has gotten more moisture, since waters from Western Colorado are piped over the divide to Eastern Colorado, we all win if we can use our water sparingly.

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

 

Drought Intensities

·               None: No Drought

·               D0: Abnormally Dry

·               D1: Moderate Drought

·               D2: Severe Drought

·               D3: Extreme Drought

·               D4: Exceptional Drought

Concerns with drought are saving trees since they are much more permanent and provide so many benefits from shade to reduction of crime and about 100 more reasons to have trees.  Water for the trees.   https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1013&context=cwel_extension

 Often we see people retrofit their landscape to xeriscape (dry scape or low water landscapes)but they forget about the needs of the trees   http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/xeriscaping-retrofit-your-yard-7-234/

Xeriscape does NOT have to mean cactus and succulents, but we love ours at the TRA Mesa County Extension Office, Photo by Susan L. Carter

And certainly there are certain situations where we need grass like ballfields areas for pets etc…  But we can minimize the amount of lawn and water features that are not necessary.

If starting a new landscape, use the principals of xeriscape. http://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/water-wise-xeriscape/1901-xeriscape-basics/

Note I did not say ZERO scape, there is no such thing and rockscapes are very hot and increase cooling needs of your home and business thus using more water. Use plants that require less water like native plants suited to your elevation and area are great choices.  http://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/trees-shrubs-vines/1710-native-plants/

Studying Plants on the Grand Mesa, Photo By Susan L. Carter

And consider that sometimes we have areas that are naturally wetter such as drainages or seeps, so install plants that like more moisture in those situations.  We call that Right Plant, Right Place. 

Here is a recent video I did for our area on ideas to save water. Water Landscape Drought Go to the Pro Tip:  https://youtu.be/GK8M4vZC9a0

And some quick bullet points of what is in the video as well as additional tips.

•  Turn off your sprinklers before there is runoff.  Runoff lets us know the soil is a “field Capacity”, can hold no more water, and may deprive the roots of oxygen thus suffocating your plants.
• Make sure you are not irrigating hardscapes such as patios, driveways and sidewalks.
• Use a long skinny screwdriver or soil moisture to check moisture at 6” or deeper depth to determine if you need to water.
• Water at night.  And don’t set it and forget it; I’m talking about your irrigation clock.  Watering needs peak in July.  Then start to reduce irrigation to slow plants down for fall.  They will acclimate better to winter and be healthier.
• Never water everyday unless you just installed seed or sod.  Then water daily for the first month and start switching to less frequent deeper soaks to get roots deeper.  If you have to water daily to keep plants alive then something else is wrong like improper irrigation system setup or soil issues.  See our LISA, Landscape Irrigation Self Audit Website, and ask your local Agent if they have a kit you can check out.  http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/lawn-irrigation-self-audit-lisa/
• Turf will get a blue tinge or footprints will stay in the lawn when it needs water.
• Group plants with similar watering needs together.  This is called Hydrozoning.
• Watering During Drought Factsheet:

http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/watering-a-home-landscape-during-drought-7-240-2/

You can create beautiful landscapes using low water plants it your choices are much larger than just cactus, although they can be beautiful too. 

Yellowhorn Tree and other Xeric Plants at Mesa County CSUE TRA office

And remember when first planting, even a cactus needs water to get established.  So be a savvy water-er and check your plants and soil before you water and we will all benefit.  Enjoy where we live, it’s a drier state. 

By Susan Carter, Horticulture Agent, CSUE Tri River Area.

Fall is Coming!

Rudbeckia triloba, Tri River Gardens, Photo by SL Carter

To some people, fall might be a four letter but to me it’s one of my favorite times of the year.  Those tomato plants are finally producing, mornings are cool and crisp, Grand Junction is rarely hitting 90 degrees and lots of yellow and purple late blooming plants are blooming.  This is also a time when a lot is going on under the ground.  Cool season turf has perked up, trees are starting to grow more roots and all perennial plants (trees included) are being like chipmunks and storing up food to make it through the winter.  Here is a wonderful handout called healthy roots, healthy trees: http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/garden/02926.pdf

So what can you do to help your plants make it through winter?  Well, for one, since the nights are getting longer and the days cooler, hopefully you have adjusted how much you are watering.  We need to help slow down plants so they can harden off for winter.  If you keep giving frequent water, they will continue to grow.  So slowly start reducing the times you water but you may need to increase the length of time you are watering.  The best way to check is to use a screwdriver from the drip edge out on trees to see if it easily slides into the soil to a depth of 6-8”.  If it only gets a couple of inches down, you definitely need to water deeper.  If it comes out all muddy, you have over-watered.  Ideally, you should be checking your lawn and garden this way thru and season and adjusting the irrigation; once a month is a good rule to follow.

Lawn at Mesa County Fairgrounds, Photo by SL Carter

As the weather cools, cool season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass) will begin to grow faster.  Mowing will be needed more often to ensure that the grass is not stressed.  No more than one-third of the grass blade should be removed at each mowing. Continue to maintain the grass at the same cutting height as during the summer.  Even though lawns grow faster in the fall they will need less water than during the summer.  Adjust your lawn watering accordingly.   Here is a handout on watering established lawns:

http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/watering-established-lawns-7-199/

This is a good time to install sod.  Preparing the soil properly is critical to success. Contact your local extension office for suggestions.  Do not apply weed killers to newly seeded lawns; wait until the new grass has been mowed at least twice before spraying for weeds.  Sodded lawns can be treated for weeds as soon as the weeds are noticed. And speaking of herbicides, one of our agents did some work the last two falls spraying bindweed with glyphosate, and does it work well.  Targeting certain perennial weeds in fall with the appropriate chemical allows the chemical to be pulled into the roots as the weed is trying to store energy.  Always read the label and follow the instructions.  It is best to make sure what you are using is appropriate for what you are controlling.  If you only have to do it once, it will save you money too.

At lower/warmer elevations, now is a good time to plant some cool season greens to get a last batch before winter gets here.  I will say, I hate when winter gets here and there is no more fresh veggies.  So for now I’ll enjoy the cool morning that still brings abundance. Enjoy!

By Susan L Carter, Horticulture Agent, CSU Extension, Tri River Area