WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Fallopia baldschuanica (Polygonum aubertii), WUCOLS IV

How often to water fleeceflower in California

In July in the Central Valley, established fleeceflower in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 0.8 gallons a week. Fleeceflower, also called silver lace vine, is a fast, twining deciduous vine from western China and Tibet that can run 25 to 35 feet. Its bright green leaves open with a red tint. Frothy clusters of small, fragrant, creamy white flowers cover it from midsummer into fall. It tolerates drought once established, and its vigor needs regular pruning.

VineRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water fleeceflower, 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 fleeceflower 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

  • Leaves on fleeceflower wilting in afternoon heat while the soil is dry several inches down mean it needs water
  • Rhizome shoots coming up far from the vine show it is spreading, not that it is thirsty
  • Yellowing leaves on soil that stays wet point to overwatering
  • Sparse bloom on old, tangled stems calls for pruning, not extra water

How to water it

  • Water deeply at the base of the vine, then let the soil dry before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun to part shade beside a sturdy fence, trellis or arbor
  • Prune hard in late winter or early spring, since it flowers on new wood
  • Pull rhizome shoots that wander beyond the planting area
  • Keep it away from creeks and wild areas, where it can become invasive

Through the seasons

Water a new vine regularly through its first summer as it climbs. Once established, it handles drought well. It drops its leaves in fall and needs little water while bare, when winter rain usually covers it. Flowers form on new growth from midsummer into fall. WUCOLS rates fleeceflower low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. Desert summers are harsher, and WUCOLS rates fleeceflower moderate water in the high desert and in the low desert.

In pots

A large container helps keep fleeceflower in bounds, with a trellis or railing for it to twine on. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches dry, until it drains out. In summer, check every few days, since a leafy vine dries a pot fast. Empty the saucer. Cut it back hard in late winter. While it is bare in winter, water only when the mix dries.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Fleeceflower: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.310.740.78
Feb0.210.260.320.350.930.93
Mar0.350.430.460.521.461.52
Apr0.470.610.560.641.891.95
May0.580.830.640.782.392.45
Jun0.640.990.690.922.852.79
Jul0.641.070.7913.042.85
Aug0.60.950.740.932.792.6
Sep0.50.720.60.742.142.08
Oct0.350.470.460.531.461.49
Nov0.190.220.330.360.930.96
Dec0.120.140.260.270.650.68
Year4.86.846.27.3721.2721.08

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 8

Rated low water in the Central Valley, like fleeceflower. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

BougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWisteriaWisteria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFlowering WoodbineLonicera periclymenumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCarolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCecile Brunner RoseRosa 'Cecile Brunner'low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLady Banks RoseRosa banksiaelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRoger's Red GrapeVitis 'Roger's Red'low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Dawn Morning GloryIpomoea acuminatalow 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 fleeceflower, 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 fleeceflower in summer?

In July, established fleeceflower in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 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 fleeceflower need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established fleeceflower needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.4 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 fleeceflower change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates fleeceflower separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low 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.

Is fleeceflower invasive?

It climbs aggressively and spreads by rhizomes. It can be invasive, especially along streams. Prune it often and pull stray shoots.

When should I prune fleeceflower?

Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth. It flowers on new wood, so hard pruning does not cost bloom. Trim through the season to keep it in bounds.

What will fleeceflower climb?

It twines around fences, wire, trellises and arbors. Give it a sturdy support. It climbs by twisting its stems, so a flat wall gives it no grip.

How fast does fleeceflower grow?

It grows very fast and can screen a fence within weeks once spring growth starts. That suits quick cover. Plan on frequent pruning.

Is fleeceflower the same as silver lace vine?

Yes, both names are used for this vine. It is also sold as Polygonum aubertii. Its current name is Fallopia baldschuanica.

More plant watering guides

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Sources