Watering in September

Leeendean · September 2020

Hi there even tho it’s September now as you know the weather wher I live in Essex has Been very warm do I continue to water my shrubs 3 x week as they seem to be dying down now for winter, ie my hydrangeas flowers are starting to die of my butter fly bush is no longer flowering should I still water or leave them as I’ve only planted them about 3 months ago

FlyDragon · September 2020

I've done a bit of watering of new/thirsty plants, its been a lot drier than normal the last couple of weeks, can't do any harm!

bullfinch · September 2020

Yes, I've been watering some things still too. Mainly the clematis and the new plants, like @FlyDragon. Some of the garden is quite dry I've noticed when I've been weeding 🙂

chicky · September 2020

I”m still watering things in pots and new plantings in the garden - about twice a week. We haven’t had any rain for ages, but there are heavy dews every morning which helps a bit.

Fairygirl · September 2020

Shrubs take several months to bed in and get established, so keep watering if you still have no proper rainfall. The cooler it becomes, the less rapidly the ground will dry out though, so just check the conditions. In another month, they should be fine with just 'the weather', but check anyway if your conditions are still dry.
The buddleia will establish quite quickly though.

Leeendean · September 2020

Ok thank you guys I will give them a good watering and keep an eye on the weather

SydRoy · September 2020

Buddleia you can treat quite mean. They don't really like overly fertile or dampish ground. You often see them going rampant on waste ground or brownfield sites. Old railway lines seem a favoured location.

Fairygirl · September 2020

That's the common one though, and they've seeded in there. Not quite the same as planting a potted, named variety.
I don't have to worry here when I plant any shrubs, as we get so much rain, and I don't have light, sandy soil, but in many areas, there's very dry ground and no appreciable rain. No shrub, however tough and hardy, can just be planted and left indefinitely in those circumstances. They need to be checked, and watered if needed, until properly established

Leeendean · September 2020

SydRoy said:

Buddleia you can treat quite mean. They don't really like overly fertile or dampish ground. You often see them going rampant on waste ground or brownfield sites. Old railway lines seem a favoured location.

I don’t keep them to wet but for some reason they seem to have stopped budding now

Fairygirl · September 2020

They really won't be producing much now, especially if it's young plant, and also if they haven't been deadheaded. Deadheading encourages more new flowers to form.

Obelixx · September 2020

I have a named buddleia (tho label lost) in the ground and, thanks to months of drought, it needs watering every day. I shall move it to richer soil in autumn and grow drought lovers in its place.

As @Fairygirl says, it takes a long time for newly planted shrubs and trees to get their roots down and established so continue watering during dry spells, right up to the last leaf fall because it well help form the new buds for next year's shoots. Having invested in the plants it's worth investing in their survival.

Watering in September

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