Is your new desert plant “established”? If so, it may be time to give it less water. But how can you tell? Learn two ways to determine when a new plant is considered established.
You may have heard that once a desert landscape plant is “established,” you can cut back on watering. Or that a plant is drought tolerant “once established.” But what does “established” mean?
When you first transplant a plant from a nursery pot into the ground, it takes time to adjust to its new spot. The most critical thing your plant now has to do is develop a strong root system.
While it’s doing this, you might not notice much new growth or many flowers, and that’s OK. This is it’s “getting established” phase.
How to Know When a Plant Is Established?
There are two rules of thumb you can use to determine whether a plant can be considered established.
The 3-2-1 Rule
This first rule of thumb is pretty simple. It generally takes the following amount of time for desert landscape plants to get established:
- 3 years for trees
- 1 to 2 years for shrubs
- 1 year for perennials and ground covers
This is a great place to start, but not all plants will neatly fit into this timetable.
Sleep, Creep, Leap Rule
You’ve probably heard the popular adage:
“First year sleeps, second year creeps, third year leaps.”
Again, this is another reasonable rule of thumb, but who coined the “sleep-creep-leap” phrase almost certainly did not have desert plants in mind. (In case you’re new to desert gardening, be aware that the gardening rules that apply in temperate climates rarely apply in the desert!)
You can consider a plant established when it’s no longer sleeping or creeping, but is finally leaping. If your plant is leaping, it’s a sign that it’s root system is well-developed and it can afford to put energy into pushing out new growth above the soil.
Once a plant is established, it starts to take off. You’ll know “leaping” when you see it — obvious robust growth, more new leaves, and more flowers.
In the desert, plants go through these 3 stages, but don’t necessarily follow this timeline. They’ll take off when they’re ready. It could be sooner or it could be later. I’ve had shrubs take off in one year (rather than three), but if you’re growing a saguaro, it could take decades!
Established Plants Need Less Water
Almost all desert plants can thrive on less water once established. So when that time comes, it pays to determine the best new watering schedule for that plant. You’ll save water and money, and your plant will be happier and healthier.
Once established, many desert landscape plants only need irrigation in the summer. I rarely water any of my landscape plants from November through April.
To find out how much water a particular plant needs once established, check our Desert Plant Library to see if we have a “Plant Profile” for that plant. (Established water needs is one of the many things you’ll learn about your plant there.)
And you can learn more about watering in the desert here:
How & Why to “Deep Water” Desert Plants
How to Water Desert Trees: How Often? How Much?
How to Water Desert Shrubs: How Often? How Much?
7 Tips for Watering Landscape Cactus
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for over 15 years.
