Ok, real Newbie Question Here...

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cue_chik Palm Coast, FL(Zone 9a) Apr 06, 2009

But how does one know when plants are 'established'? I keep reading the tags that say 'water thoroughly' or 'water daily until established'. How do I tell if its established save for digging it up and looking to see if the roots have grown? is there a certain time frame when I can be sure the plant has established itself? Are there outward signs? I dont want to keep watering them daily if I dont have too and I dont want to end up overwatering them either.

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chris_lcf530 Peachtree City, GA(Zone 7b) Apr 06, 2009

I dont know how long you have the plant your speaking of but if it is showing signs of nice green, new growth, then I would call it established.

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cue_chik Palm Coast, FL(Zone 9a) Apr 06, 2009

lol.. ok, great. problem is, they come with that pretty new growth when I buy then (except the salvias have grown twice their original size, so I will assume the are established). but the Cape Honeysuckle, Night Blooming Jasmine and several mandevillas... Im not sure if there is new growth, ior its the 'new' growth that was already present when I purchased the plants

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Apr 06, 2009

The new growth they had when you bought them doesn't count, I'd look for more new growth after you put them in the ground. If you're not sure whether the new looking growth is from before you planted them or not, then just keep an eye on them over the next couple weeks and see if you're continuing to see new growth or not.

Also, I would ignore any plant tag that tells you to water every day--there is too much variation in temperature, soil drainage, etc to be able to accurately tell you a frequency like that. If it's warm out and you have sandy soil then every day may be what the plants need, but if it's cooler or you have soil that's more clay then that could be way too much and you could kill your plants. The best thing to do is check by sticking your finger down a couple inches into the soil and see how wet it's feeling--if it's really wet then don't water, but if it's drying out then go ahead and give the plants a drink.

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cue_chik Palm Coast, FL(Zone 9a) Apr 06, 2009

Thanks! I appreciate the info. will keep my eyes out, but I think its safe to assume that one of the Mandevilla (Giant Crimson) is well established since it has already traveled about 8 inches up its trellis since planting...LOL. apparently, it likes its new home

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