WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Ajuga reptans (shade), WUCOLS IV

How often to water carpet bugle in California

In July in the Central Valley, established carpet bugle in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.9 gallons a week. Carpet bugle, also called ajuga or bugleweed, is a low, creeping ground cover that knits into a dense evergreen mat. Short spikes of blue to purple flowers rise in mid to late spring. It likes evenly moist soil in shade, but wet, heavy ground and still, humid air bring on crown rot.

Ground coverPerennialRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water carpet bugle, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for carpet bugle and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 1 inch down under the mat means carpet bugle needs water
  • Leaves losing their gloss and wilting in afternoon sun point to a dry root zone, too much sun, or both
  • Patches of the mat collapsing and browning in humid weather over wet soil point to crown rot
  • An old, crowded patch that thins out in the middle often needs dividing rather than more water
  • Dark spots spreading across the leaves in damp weather point to leaf spot, so water the soil and not the foliage

How to water it

  • Water the soil with a soaker hose or gentle stream early in the day, so the leaves dry quickly
  • Soak until the ground under the mat is moist several inches down, then let the surface inch dry
  • Plant in shade or part shade in loose, organic soil that drains, not in wet, heavy clay
  • Thin and divide crowded mats so air can move through the leaves
  • Edge the bed to keep runners out of lawns and perennial beds, and water only the area it should cover

Through the seasons

Keep new plantings evenly moist until the runners root into the soil. Established mats stay green through mild winters and bloom in mid to late spring, and summer heat is when they need the closest watch. Divide crowded clumps in spring or fall. Winter rain covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley, while desert plantings need soil checks through dry winters. The WUCOLS rating here applies to plantings in shade. WUCOLS rates carpet bugle moderate water in all six climate zones, from the north-central coast to the low desert.

In pots

Carpet bugle makes a neat edging for pots and window boxes, and its runners spill over the rim. Touch the mix an inch down every couple of days in summer heat, and water when it is dry there. Pour until water drains from the bottom, then empty the saucer, since soggy mix rots the crowns. Keep pots in shade or bright shade inland. In winter, water sparingly and let the mix dry slightly between soakings.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Carpet Bugle: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.780.740.78
Feb0.530.650.810.870.930.93
Mar0.871.091.151.31.461.52
Apr1.181.521.41.611.891.95
May1.462.081.611.952.392.45
Jun1.612.481.742.292.852.79
Jul1.612.671.982.513.042.85
Aug1.492.391.862.332.792.6
Sep1.241.81.491.862.142.08
Oct0.871.181.151.331.461.49
Nov0.470.560.840.90.930.96
Dec0.310.340.650.680.650.68
Year1217.1115.518.4121.2721.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like carpet bugle. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

DahliasDahlia spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHoneysuckleLonicera japonicamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernsNephrolepis cordifolia (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyDayliliesHemerocallis spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBegoniasBegonia & ssp. & cvs. (shade in the desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyIvyHedera helixmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCalla LiliesZantedeschia aethiopica SHADE IN DESERTmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStrawberriesFragaria spp. & cvs. (CA native and non-natives species)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBicolor MonkshoodAconitum cammarummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGarden MonkshoodAconitum napellusmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySnowdrop WindflowerAnemone sylvestrismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen Supreme ManzanitaArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Green Supreme'moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMassachusetts ManzanitaArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Massachusetts'moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain SandwortArenaria montanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than carpet bugle in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

BougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAgapanthusAgapanthus orientalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGeraniumsPelargonium x hortorum and cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyIrisesIris germanicalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyYarrowAchillea millefolium (non-native hybrids)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain AlyssumAlyssum montanumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver SageSalvia argentealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple MulleinVerbascum phoeniceumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilvery YarrowAchillea clavennaelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFern Leaf YarrowAchillea filipendulinalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes carpet bugle, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water carpet bugle in summer?

In July, established carpet bugle in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does carpet bugle need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established carpet bugle needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for carpet bugle change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates carpet bugle separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Can carpet bugle grow in full sun?

It tolerates sun, but it stays lusher in shade or part shade. The WUCOLS rating used here is for shade plantings. A mat in hot afternoon sun dries out faster, so check it more often.

Why is my ajuga dying in patches?

Crown rot is the usual cause, especially in humid weather and heavy, wet soil. Cut back watering, improve drainage and thin the mat for air flow. Some cultivars, such as 'Burgundy Glow', resist rot better.

Will carpet bugle spread into my lawn?

Yes. Its runners spread quickly and can invade lawns and nearby beds. Keep a mowing strip or edging between them.

Can I walk on carpet bugle?

It tolerates foot traffic, so it works between stepping stones in shade. Heavily trodden spots may need patching from divisions in spring.

Does carpet bugle grow under black walnut?

Yes. It tolerates black walnut, so it can cover the shady ground under one. Water it at soil level so the mat does not stay wet.

More plant watering guides

Lily of the ValleyEddie's White Wonder DogwoodRed-Barked DogwoodBunchberryEvergreen DogwoodJapanese DogwoodMountain DogwoodChocolate Cosmos

Sources