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How to water new landscape plants: schedules, drip design and establishment
Summary
Utah Division of Water Resources presenters outlined soil-driven irrigation design, drip-emitter layouts and a three-season establishment schedule for new perennials, shrubs and trees, emphasizing deep, infrequent watering and hydrozoning.
Candace Shively, water conservation coordinator with the Division of Water Resources, led a statewide webinar on watering new landscape plants and establishing irrigation systems for waterwise landscapes.
Shively said the central principle is to “water deep and infrequently” so roots grow into surrounding soil and plants maintain oxygen in the root zone. She advised homeowners to base irrigation design and run times on soil type, plant root depth and plant water-use classifications.
The presenters framed soil as the first design input. Citing Utah State University (USU) soil testing, Shively recommended homeowners get a $25 soil test to determine whether they have sandier or clayey soils, because those extremes change how water is applied and whether water should be split across multiple days. She explained that the plant’s water needs don’t change by soil type, but application strategy does: “On the clay side, we might be able to apply all 10 gallons on a Monday and be good for the week. On the sandy side... apply 5 gallons Monday and another 5 gallons on Thursday.”
Shively gave concrete emitter and schedule guidance based on common home landscapes. Her typical recommendations: use at least two emitters per plant to guard against clogging; for perennials use two 0.5 gallon-per-hour emitters (1 gph total); for shrubs use four 1 gph emitters; for trees start with six 1 gph emitters and add rings as the root zone expands. For trees she favors inline drip rings with built-in emitters and pressure-compensating components.
To establish new plantings, Shively outlined a progressive schedule across seasons and years rather than a single timer setting. Examples given (site- and soil-dependent): during the planting weeks run perennials and shrubs about 15 minutes every other day to wet the root ball; after the first few weeks reduce frequency but increase run time (for example, 2 hours per run for perennials and shrubs to reach roughly 1.5–2 gallons per irrigation event); trees typically require longer, less frequent runs (rough guideline: 1–2 irrigations a month using 5–6 hours per run for larger trees, with higher frequency in sandy soils). She emphasized these are guides and users should convert gallons to run time based on their emitters’ gallons-per-hour rating.
Hydrozoning — grouping plants with similar water needs on the same irrigation valve — was stressed as essential. Shively noted it is “impossible” to effectively water a lawn on the same zone as very low-water plants like yucca without over- or under-watering one or the other.
Practical checks and troubleshooting: feel the soil before adding water, use a screwdriver to probe soil moisture, inspect drip emitters for clogs or damage, bury or mulch tubing to avoid heat exposure, and consider temporary hand-watering for trees if zones are shared. On diagnosing yellowing in new plantings, Shively advised checking for overwatering first and adjusting irrigation before applying nutrients. Ro (presenter, Division of Water Resources) added tips on summer pruning and deep-watering trees once monthly in much of the state.
The presentation closed with reminders that irrigation must be actively managed and adjusted as plants establish, local climate varies (St. George and Washington County differ from Salt Lake and Cache Valley), and that the Division provides sort-of statewide guidance which individuals should customize based on soil tests and local conditions.
