WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Hedera helix, WUCOLS IV

How often to water ivy in California

In July in the Central Valley, established 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. English ivy forms a leafy groundcover or climbs with stems that root as they spread. It grows in shade and in coastal sun, but hot inland exposure can scorch the leaves. Keep moisture steady beneath the mat without letting its shallow roots remain waterlogged.

Ground coverVineRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water 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 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 2 to 3 inches down beneath an ivy mat signals that the shallow root zone needs water
  • Dull, limp new leaves with dry margins can accompany thirst when the soil beneath them is dry
  • Yellow leaves and soft, dark runner stems over soggy ground can indicate root or stem rot
  • Dark, water-soaked leaf spots after overhead irrigation call for checking wet foliage rather than assuming thirst

How to water it

  • Water the spreading ivy mat beyond the original planting holes as runners root into the soil
  • Soak below the shallow root mat, then let the topsoil dry before another application
  • Use short repeated runs on sloping ground so water can soak in without flowing off the bed
  • Run drip tubing under the foliage to keep shaded leaves dry and reduce leaf spot spread
  • Mulch exposed soil between new ivy plants, keeping stems clear and pulling runners away from tree trunks and poorly drained ground

Through the seasons

Keep new ivy root balls evenly moist through their first summer while runners spread and root into nearby soil. Established mats can take deeper, less frequent soakings. Ivy retains leaves through winter, although growth slows and moisture demand falls. Irrigation matters most from late spring through early fall. Coastal and Central Valley rain can supply cool-season moisture; check the deserts through dry winter gaps. WUCOLS marks ivy as not suited to the south coast. It rates moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, in South Inland, in the high desert and in the low desert.

In pots

Potted ivy has a shallow root mat that can dry quickly on a hot California patio. Check the top inch of mix often during summer and water when it feels dry. Soak until water leaves the drainage holes, then empty the saucer to keep roots out of standing water. Inspect leaf undersides for spider mites during dry heat. In winter, growth slows and mix stays wet longer, so check deeper before watering, including pots sheltered from rain.

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

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–0.780.740.78
Feb0.530.65–0.870.930.93
Mar0.871.09–1.31.461.52
Apr1.181.52–1.611.891.95
May1.462.08–1.952.392.45
Jun1.612.48–2.292.852.79
Jul1.612.67–2.513.042.85
Aug1.492.39–2.332.792.6
Sep1.241.8–1.862.142.08
Oct0.871.18–1.331.461.49
Nov0.470.56–0.90.930.96
Dec0.310.34–0.680.650.68
Year1217.11–18.4121.2721.08

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 ivy. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

JasmineJasminum polyanthummoderate 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 JulyGrapevinesVitis vinifera ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyClematisClematis & ssp., hybrids & cvs.moderate 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 JulyCarpet BugleAjuga reptans (shade)moderate 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 JulySerbian BellflowerCampanula poscharskyanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyEvergreen ClematisClematis armandiimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBunchberryCornus canadensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyKenilworth IvyCymbalaria muralismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWinter CreeperEuonymus fortunei radicansmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCranesbillGeranium spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen CarpetHerniaria glabramoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than 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 JulyWisteriaWisteria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus 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 JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFlowering WoodbineLonicera periclymenumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWoolly YarrowAchillea tomentosalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGround Morning GloryConvolvulus mauritanicuslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRock CotoneasterCotoneaster horizontalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFleeceflowerFallopia baldschuanica (Polygonum aubertii)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCarolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySouth African GeraniumPelargonium sidoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLippia GroundcoverPhyla nodiflora (Lippia nodiflora) cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCecile Brunner RoseRosa 'Cecile Brunner'low 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 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 ivy in summer?

In July, established ivy in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley 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 ivy need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates ivy separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region 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 you overwater ivy?

Yes. A saturated mat can lose roots to rot even while the foliage looks thirsty. Wait for the ground to drain before repeating irrigation, and check the bases of affected runners.

How do I water ivy indoors?

Low light slows water use, so a shaded corner can leave the mix damp longer than a bright window. Check the pot before adding water. Fine pale stippling or bronzing warrants a spider-mite inspection instead of an automatic extra soak.

How do I water newly planted ivy?

Direct water over the nursery root balls before the runners have rooted into the bed. Test those small balls separately from nearby soil. Expand coverage as rooted stems extend the mat.

Why are ivy leaves brown and crispy?

Check for hot afternoon sun, reflected heat or drying wind. Container salts can also brown leaf margins, even when mix is moist. Shade an overheated pot and flush accumulated salts through freely draining mix when needed.

Is ivy geranium watered like English ivy?

No. Ivy geranium is a trailing pelargonium, and these ratings do not describe it. It needs freely draining soil and protection from hot inland afternoon sun.

More plant watering guides

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Sources