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Coral bells are one the most popular shade perennials in America and are well known for their robust and bright foliage. When planting new Coral bells, you may wonder about the best way to water them.
You should water your coral bells once a day for the first week after planting them. After the first week, they’ll do fine with being watered once every few days.
Read on to discover what Coral bells need and how you should water them when they are newly planted.
How Much Water Do Coral Bells Need?
Coral bells need more water than most plants. Their huge colorful foliage necessitates a lot of water. In fact, you should avoid letting the soil dry completely, but rather, constantly maintain moist soil.
With this in mind, you also don’t want to go overboard. Coral bells, while they love water, can’t handle too much at once, so it can be challenging to figure out how much they need and how often.
Watering Newly Planted Coral Bells
The first week after planting or transplanting your Coral bells is the most important time to ensure they get adequate water. This is due to their root systems not yet being established in the soil.
Coral bells use long roots to dig into the soil and find extra water, even when no consistent water is available. This is one of the ways they survive quite well when they go dormant in the winter.
Soil dries out relatively quickly, especially in warm weather, where it can get completely dry within a mere two days. This is bad news for newly planted Coral Bells since they will rapidly dehydrate in this kind of soil.
You should water newly planted Coral Bells daily to ensure they don’t dry out because their delicate new roots need extra water to maintain high nutrient levels. The best way to figure out how much water to give them is to feel the soil.
Soil changes daily depending on the season and how much rain or sun is available. While one day, the plant may need only 1 cup of water (240 ml), on another day, it may need close to a gallon (3.79 liters), especially if the plant is mature.
When dealing with newly planted Coral bells, you want to feel the soil daily. It should feel damp at least 2” (5.08 cm) into the topsoil. This is the primary determining factor of how much water you should give your plant.
Generally, however, you should give the plant a few cups of water once per day. Try to water them at the same time daily if possible. Coral bells, like most plants, do better on a consistent watering schedule since they come to know what to expect.
Watering Older Coral Bells
While newly planted Coral bells need a decent amount of water, older plants need even more water. However, they need to be watered less frequently because the root systems have already had the opportunity to spread throughout the ground.
As with newly planted Coral bells, you will need to feel the soil to establish how much water the plant needs. The main thing you should look for is whether the topsoil is beginning to feel dry. If you have older Coral bells, you can get away with watering them every two or three days.
However, you should avoid a stricter hydration schedule.
They need a lot of water to maintain health and longevity. The best thing to do is check the soil once every couple of days, and when the soil begins to feel dry, you should give the Coral bell plant some water.
Water the plant until the topsoil feels wet but not soggy. How much you give depends on the type of soil the plant is growing in and how often you are adding water.
Winter Watering
Coral Bells go dormant during the winter, so for this reason, you should avoid watering the plant too often in the winter months. The exception to this will be if you are growing your Coral bells in a climate that stays relatively warm all year.
While Coral bells love water, too much of a good thing can lead to complications. During winter, the plants don’t need the water, and you’ll be causing much more harm than good by overwatering.
The Role of Soil in Newly Planted Coral Bells
The type of soil in which you plant your Coral bells also plays a major role in how much water you need to give the plants. Nevertheless, no matter the soil type, they will need daily watering sessions for the first week or so.
You can minimize the amount of water you use by providing the plants with other soil types.
Typically, Coral bells are grown in either pure peat or compost when in the plant nursery. This type of soil dries out pretty quickly, and the plants suffer from a lack of water as a result.
While starting your new Coral bells in such soil, this is sometimes recommended, though it’s not the best idea unless you want to give your plants an extra amount.
If you’ve recently purchased a Coral bell plant that’s planted in pure peat or compost, the best thing is to move it to a new location sooner rather than later. Plant the Coral bell in soil that holds onto moisture, such as silty soil mixed with a bit of peat. While peat can drain relatively quickly, it also works well with other soils.
You also want to plant your Coral bells in the soil through which the roots can spread easily. Consequently, hard and compacted soil is not recommended when it comes to watering or allowing the roots to spread.
Final Thoughts
Newly planted Coral bells should be watered daily, at least for the first week. After they mature, you can change this to watering every few days.
How much water you give the plant depends on the type of soil it is planted in and the time of year. The best way to determine how much water you should give the plant at any given time is to feel the soil and observe how deep the moisture goes.
Finally, you should always maintain at least 2” (5.04 cm) of moisture in the topsoil for Coral bells.
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