Water trees, shrubs, lawns, and perennials during prolonged dry fall and winter periods to prevent root damage that affects the health of the entire plant. Water only when air and soil temperatures are above 40 degrees F with no snow cover.
Creating Watering Schedules for Winter Gardening
Try watering at mid-day — when temperatures are higher—so it can soak in before it freezes at night. Water your landscape once or twice per month from November to April. New roots form in the months of March and April. It is most critical to water during these months.
When To Stop Watering Plants in Fall. When the air and soil temperatures consistently fall below 40 F, it's time to stop watering. The ground can't absorb water once the top few inches freeze. Continue to water your plants up until this point so they're as well-hydrated as possible going into winter.
Choose days when no snow is on the ground and the soil isn't frozen. In cold weather, water should be trickled slowly into the soil. Water only when air temperatures are above 40 degrees F. Apply water at mid-day so there is time to soak in before possible freezing at night.
In fall, plants do not need as much water as they may have needed in summer. But rather than stop watering altogether, it's best to wean them from weekly watering to every other week to monthly throughout fall.
Avoid watering when temperatures are below 40°F or when sustained freezing temperatures are expected within 24 hours as this water will freeze and not be available to the plants. Evergreen foliage can also be protected from excess water loss using anti-desiccant sprays.
Plants can go to a maximum of a week without water, however, some plants can go for even longer periods of time, such as for two weeks or even a month. It would depend on the type of plant and its drought tolerance level.
It can be tricky choosing when is the best time to water plants in winter. Avoid watering early in the morning or late at night, keeping to the middle of the day wherever possible as the soil around plants should be dry at night.
There is less light in Winter and the temperature is cooler. This means the plant slows down because photosynthesis is less effective. Providing the room isn't excessively hot, you may reduce watering to just once every two weeks or once a month for some plants over the Winter months.
On woody plants, the leaves will yellow and drop off. Keep the dormant plants dry, but not so dry that the soil becomes powdery. Check soil moisture often and if very dry, lightly water. In most situations, light watering will be needed every two to four weeks.
Water Wisely
Most lawns need to be watered no more than three days a week in the spring as well as in the summer and two days a week in the fall.
Keep watering trees on a regular schedule through the fall and until the ground begins to freeze (usually late October or November). Once the ground freezes, continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the winter months.
A lot of plants can handle some neglect when it comes to folks forgetting to water. However, all plants need water to survive. Forgetting to water every now and then or watering a day or two later than you should can result in dead blooms and burnt foliage but these plants can survive that.
Water for Plants During Winter
As a rule of thumb, water when the soil is dry to the touch, the temperature is not below 40 degrees F. (4 C.) and, if possible, when the wind isn't blowing. Drying winds may carry off much of the water you're trying to apply to the roots of your beloved plants.
Thoroughly Water plants if it's not going to rain before the freezing temperatures arrive. It may sound illogical. However, a moist ground stays warmer than dry soil. Watering the night before the freeze comes will insulate the root structure of the grass and plants and decreases the potential for cold injury.
Most foliage plants can go four months (November to March) without feeding. Flowering plants may need feeding every two weeks when in bud and bloom, but even these require smaller amounts between November and February.
Cut back on watering.
With limited sunlight in winter, plants use less water than they do when they are actively growing in spring and summer. "A plant that you watered every week in summer might now prefer to go two weeks without water," Marino says.
You should water your plants with warm or room temperature water, as it mimics rainfall's natural conditions. If you use water that's too hot, you may boil your roots and damage the helpful microorganisms in your soil. On the other hand, ice cold water is also not advisable as it may shock the roots.
Use water that is about room temperature to avoid shocking the plant's roots. Tap water can get very cold in some winter climates, so let the water sit for several hours before watering your plants. Gradual warming in this way also allows dissolved gases, such as chlorine, to evaporate out of the water.
Evening watering gives plenty of time for the water to penetrate the soil and for the plant to take it up, but there is a concern that leaves staying damp overnight will provide access to disease.
Water after rain.
Believe it or not the best time to water is after rain, when the ground has been softened and is more receptive. Extra water at this point tops up the rainfall, so it can penetrate further down into the soil. This is a great way to build up meaningful soil moisture.
Drought tolerance is one of the unique features of resurrection plants. They can survive for up to seven years without water in dormancy and lose up to 95% of their moisture content without cell or tissue damage.
When plants are not watered properly they wilt. This is because of something called turgor, which is water pressure inside the cells that make up the plant's skeleton.
The general rule of thumb is that most plants freeze when temperatures remain at 28°F for five hours. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Seedlings, with their tender new leaves, often give up the ghost when temperatures dip to 32-33°F. Tropical plants have differing low-temperature thresholds.