The Ultimate Watering Guide for South Carolina Gardens

Did you know that there are right and wrong ways to water your plants? If you water correctly, then you will help your plants to be healthy and happy. If you water incorrectly, you could dehydrate your plant, cause fungal growth, encourage root rot, and even kill your plant. So, what are some right ways to water, and how do you water newly-planted plants?

At Head-Lee Nursery in upstate South Carolina, we have over forty years of horticultural experience, and we want to share our plant watering knowledge and watering tips with you.

When to Water

Water plants in the morning to prepare the plant for the day’s upcoming water demands. Water plants in the evening to cool off your plants during a heat spell. If your garden is going through a hot spell (which typically happens between June and August in South Carolina), then you may need to adjust your watering schedule further. See our “Guide to Heat-Tolerant Plants and Watering During the Summer” for more summer watering guidance.

Watering Your Outdoor Plants

How often you water your plants depends on two key factors: the age of the plant and the weather. Getting this right is essential to avoid common problems like root rot and drought stress.

Newly Planted in the Ground

For plants that have just been planted in the ground, water them twice a week up to daily depending on the temperature and rainfall. It is critical not to allow a new plant to go dry during the first two weeks after planting. A good guideline is to provide a volume of water equal to the size of the container the plant came in. For example, if you have a “five-gallon” pot (which holds approximately five gallons of soil), then you would need to give the plant about five gallons of water for each watering session.

For South Carolina watering, you will need to adjust your watering schedule depending on our growing season: Growing season (March through October) and cool season (November through February).

Growing Season Watering

During the first growing season, water your plant at least twice a week or even daily (for new plantings and high temperatures). Monitor rainfall to adjust watering.  Deep, soaking periods of rain may be sufficient for a young plant, but light rain may not saturate the entire rootball.

Once your plant is established, water it once a week.

Cool Season Watering

Water your plant once a week or less depending on rainfall and temperature. Once your plant is established, do not give it extra water. South Carolina’s natural rainfall should be enough water for your plant during the cool season.

Newly Planted in a Container

Plants in containers need more water than those in the ground. This is because of increased air circulation around the pot and smaller soil volume compared to plants in the ground. So, container soil doesn’t hold as much water as the ground does and containers do not hold water for as long as the ground does.

Growing Season Watering

Water your container plant every day. Be sure to fully saturate the container’s soil.

Cool Season Watering

Water your container plant one to two times a week. Make sure that the soil is fully saturated.

Tropical Plants Grown Indoors

For tropical plants, you have to check the soil in the pot each week. If the soil feels slightly dry to the touch, then water the soil thoroughly until the water drains out of the bottom of the pot.

Succulents and Cacti Grown Indoors

Succulents and cacti are drought-tolerant plants. This means that they don’t need as much watering as do other plants and can handle some neglect when it comes to watering. However, since they are drought-tolerant and need little water, they can be prone to getting root rot if you water them too much and too often.

Check your succulents’ and cacti’s soil every two weeks. Only water them when the soil is dry down to one inch below the top of the soil. If the soil is dry, then water them thoroughly and let their containers drain completely. Never let them sit in standing water.

The Ultimate Watering Tip

We have to tell you the ultimate watering tip that, when ignored, wreaks havoc on plants: do not overwater your plants.

Overwatering can cause root rot and several other plant problems. Sometimes people overwater because they water their plants every day regardless of soil saturation. Overwatering can also be caused by poor drainage. So, make sure that your plant has good drainage. This may be a matter of adding drainage holes to your plant’s container or changing the soil makeup if your plant is in the ground and needs improved drainage. You can visit our General Planting guide to help you determine if you have the right soil type for your plant. We also have low-cost tools to help you measure moisture levels.

Contact Head-Lee Nursery for Watering Help and Gardening Guidance

You can also call our Seneca, South Carolina, garden center at (864) 882-3663 or visit us at Head-Lee Nursery. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff has over forty years of horticultural knowledge, and we love to help customers find the right plants for their lifestyles and learn how to help their plants thrive.