Water your broadleaf evergreens well before Thanksgiving

Posted 11/7/24

What is a broadleaf evergreen, you might ask, or why do I need to water them now (besides being the driest weather in 150 years)? 

Broadleaf evergreens are small trees or shrubs with green leaves that stay on the plant 365 days per year like Rhododendron, Pieris, Holly, some Magnolias, Boxwoods, and yes, Cherry and Skip Laurel. The evergreens may look OK, but with the lack of moisture in the soil they have used up all their reserves of water that would have been saved for winter. Now when winter hits and the ground freezes there will be no water for the plants to draw …

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Water your broadleaf evergreens well before Thanksgiving

Posted

What is a broadleaf evergreen, you might ask, or why do I need to water them now (besides being the driest weather in 150 years)? 

Broadleaf evergreens are small trees or shrubs with green leaves that stay on the plant 365 days per year like Rhododendron, Pieris, Holly, some Magnolias, Boxwoods, and yes, Cherry and Skip Laurel. The evergreens may look OK, but with the lack of moisture in the soil they have used up all their reserves of water that would have been saved for winter. Now when winter hits and the ground freezes there will be no water for the plants to draw from. 

So please, help save your broadleaf evergreens this winter and water them so the ground around the shrub is moist to a depth of approximately 6 inches into the soil. 

Also, did you know that moist soil is warmer than dry soil? So watering your plants will be like giving “socks” to their roots. 

David Brothers