WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Glechoma hederacea, WUCOLS IV

How often to water ground ivy in California

In July in the Central Valley, established ground ivy 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. Ground ivy is an aromatic, evergreen creeper in the mint family. It roots at every leaf node and forms a low mat of rounded, scalloped leaves. Small blue-violet flowers open from mid-spring into early summer. It favors shade and moist, fertile soil, and it spreads so aggressively that it is widely treated as a lawn weed.

Ground coverPerennialRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water ground ivy, 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 ground ivy 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 an inch down beneath the mat signals that ground ivy needs water, especially in a sunny spot
  • Leaves wilting and turning dull at midday over dry soil can indicate thirst
  • Growth stalling in hot summer weather is a natural pause, not always a sign of dry soil
  • Yellowing, collapsing stems in a patch that never dries can indicate overwatering or poor drainage
  • Leaf edges browning in salty or acidic soil reflect ground the plant does not tolerate rather than thirst

How to water it

  • Water ground ivy evenly across the whole mat with a soaker line or gentle spray at soil level
  • Moisten the top 4 to 6 inches of soil, then let the surface dry before watering again
  • Confine the planting with buried edging, since rooted runners spread quickly into moist lawn and beds
  • Plant it in shade or part shade with fertile, loamy soil, where the ground stays moist longer
  • Extend water only as far as you want the mat to grow

Through the seasons

Keep new plantings or divisions evenly moist until they root in and start to spread. Established mats take deeper, less frequent watering. It flowers from mid-spring into early summer, then often slows or goes dormant in hot weather, when it uses less water. Winter rain usually covers this evergreen on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates ground ivy low water on the north-central coast and high water in South Inland. It rates moderate water in the Central Valley and on the south coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Ground ivy is easiest to control in a container or hanging basket, where its trailing stems spill over the edge. A variegated form with white edged leaves also exists. Check the mix an inch down every few days in summer heat and water when it is dry there. Water until excess drains, then empty the saucer. Trim stems that touch the ground so they cannot root outside the pot. In winter, water only when the mix starts to dry.

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
1.02.03.04.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC1.02.03.04.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Ground Ivy: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.781.24––
Feb0.210.650.811.39––
Mar0.351.091.152.08––
Apr0.471.521.42.58––
May0.582.081.613.12––
Jun0.642.481.743.67––
Jul0.642.671.984.02––
Aug0.62.391.863.72––
Sep0.51.81.492.98––
Oct0.351.181.152.13––
Nov0.190.560.841.44––
Dec0.120.340.651.09––
Year4.817.1115.529.46––

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 ground ivy. 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 JulyCarpet BugleAjuga reptans (shade)moderate 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 July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than ground ivy 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 ground ivy, 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 ground ivy in summer?

In July, established ground ivy 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 5 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 ground ivy need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established ground ivy 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 ground ivy change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates ground ivy separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, high water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is ground ivy invasive?

Yes. It spreads aggressively by stems that root at each node and is a common lawn weed. Plant it only where it can be contained, away from lawns and natural areas.

How do I get rid of ground ivy in my lawn?

Pull it by hand, removing the entire plant and its rooted runners, or it will return. A dense, healthy lawn helps keep it from moving in. It favors thin turf in shady, moist spots.

Does ground ivy need shade?

It prefers shade and moist, fertile soil but also grows in sun. In a sunny spot the soil dries faster, so check it more often. Hot summer weather can push it into a dormant pause.

Is ground ivy safe for animals?

It is listed as a problem for horses. Keep it out of pastures and paddocks. Pull it from any area where horses graze.

Can you overwater ground ivy?

It tolerates moist and occasionally wet soil, so it is harder to overwater than many plants. Still, ease off during its summer slowdown, when it uses less. Extra water also encourages it to spread.

More plant watering guides

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Sources