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Watering in winter?
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Posted by greenwood85 6b (My Page) on Mon, Jan 5, 09 at 16:44
| I know it's important to continue watering in the fall, but is it necessary/recommended to water in the winter at all? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Watering in winter?
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| If the soil is not frozen and little or no snow cover, watering is recommended. The interval between waterings is determined by: 1) how windy it is and 2) the duration of sun light. If these conditions are high, water every two to three weeks, other wise once a month. |
RE: Watering in winter?
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| Thank you. Our ground still isn't frozen in Kentucky and it's the middle of winter! Doesn't seem right... |
RE: Watering in winter?
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| Hold on.....the above post neglected to consider a very important factor. The amount of watering required is going to be highly dependent on the amount of natural rainfall you receive. There's many areas of the country with minimal to no snow cover that will never require any supplemental irrigation during the winter months because of adequate rainfall.....often more than adequate :-) The only way to be certain if watering is needed is monitor your weather and if there are extended periods of no precipitation, check the soil to see how dry it is. Even if the surface appears dry, there may be more than sufficient moisture retained in the root zone. And be aware that in climates that are not frost-free (zone 9 and below), the majority of landscape plantings are in a period of dormancy and require very little water. And colder temperatures and less daylight slow evaporation of moisture from the soil. The routine use of mulch - very common to many gardeners in winter regardless of location - reduces this even further. Even in windy locations, the concern is less for the plant roots not receiving adequate moisture than it is for the foliage desiccating from drying winds. Watering should never be on a timetable but only as the plants and the soil and weather conditions dictate. |
RE: Watering in winter?
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| You do not need to water in Ky during the winter....you should however make sure nothing is stressed by making sure your evergreens are watered during a dry fall, I know that it has been dry for a couple years in parts of Ky and your large evergreens have shown decline. A trickle soaking on your valued large plants does not have to be frequent and goes a long way. Ron Wilsons' "In the garden" show from Cincinnati is a great reference for your area. It is archived at 55KRC. He has addressed this topic often. |
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