Using soaker hose, watering newly planted shrubs,etc question?
I have two beds with shrubs, evergreens, boxwoods, junipers, etc, and want to be sure I am watering properly. I have the soaker house and want to see how long I should be running it, I also use the regular hose to water a bit too. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated 
Thanks
Tagged with: beds • shrubs • soaker hose
Filed under: Soaker Hoses
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Root zone test: The easiest way to predict water loss is to feel the soil. The soil in the feeder root zone (4-6 inches for groundcover; 10 inches for trees) should be moist. After watering, poke a hole in the soil with a trowel and put your hand in about 4 inches. If the soil feels dry and warm, you need more water. If it is cold throughout the depth of the root zone, it is probably moist enough. Test the root zone moisture before and after watering for a given amount of time to know roughly how long to water next time, assuming conditions don’t change drastically.
Test this in more than one spot to be sure the hose is giving adequate coverage because water does not move sideways much. Sandy soil needs to have the hose loops closer than together than clay soils. If you have sandy soil you will run the hose shorter times more frequently than in clay. For example, 1 inch of water applied to an average sandy soil will penetrate 12 inches. It will move anywhere from 6-10 inches into a good loam soil, and in a clay soil it will percolate down only 4-5 inches.
Be careful that you aren’t over watering it. This could cause root rot. I would just make sure the ground doesn’t dry up. As long as it’s damp then your shrubs, etc., should be fine. To much watering can kill them though.