On 24 Mar 2006 06:55:42 -0800, "Ima Googler"
wrote:

How often should I water my newly planted holly bushes? I suppose we
will be getting a lot of rain since it is springtime, but I've read
that you need to water in addition to the rain to ensure the plant is
getting enough water.

Is a thorough watering once a week enough? Is there a way to check to
see if they are getting enough water? How deep should the soil be
damp?
Probably too late for this advice (hopefully they made it anyway) but
container-grown transplants should be watered daily to twice a day (in
smaller amounts right next to the plant) at first. The light potting
mix generally dries out quite quickly while the native soil stays
moist longer (YMMV). So when you check for moist soil, you need to
check in the original rootball. After a week, taper off and gradually
spread the water out farther and deeper. Once the plants root into
the native soil, they will benefit more from the inch-a-week type
recommendations. Difficult to guage when that is, but if all goes
well you should be able to water normally after a month or so.