WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Vitis 'Roger's Red', WUCOLS IV

How often to water Roger's Red grape in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Roger's Red grape 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. Roger's Red grape is a vigorous deciduous vine, a cross of the native California wild grape and a wine grape. Its grayish green leaves turn brilliant scarlet in fall, best in full sun. Small dark purple grapes draw birds. Once established it needs little supplemental water in most of California.

VineCalifornia nativeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water Roger's Red grape, 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 Roger's Red grape 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

  • When the soil 6 inches down at the base is dry in summer, Roger's Red grape can use a deep soak
  • Leaves wilting by midday and browning at the edges in a long heat wave point to a dry root zone
  • Leaves reddening in fall is the normal show, not drought stress
  • Lush, soft growth that smothers nearby shrubs can follow more water than this vine needs
  • Yellowing leaves in summer in soil that stays wet suggest poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water Roger's Red grape deeply at the root zone with drip, not by sprinkling the foliage
  • Soak the soil about 18 inches deep, then let it dry well before watering again
  • Plant in full sun for the best fall color, though it takes part shade
  • Give it a sturdy arbor or fence and keep tendrils off nearby shrubs and trees
  • Taper watering after establishment, and extend drip only as far as the vine needs to cover

Through the seasons

Water a new Roger's Red grape regularly through its first summer while roots spread. Established vines tolerate summer drought and need little supplemental water in most of California. Leaves emerge in spring, small dark fruit follows the flowers, and the foliage turns scarlet in fall before dropping. Prune at any time to control its spread. WUCOLS rates Roger's Red grape low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. It rates moderate water in the high desert, and WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the low desert.

In pots

Roger's Red grape is too vigorous for a pot in the long run, but a young vine can spend a season in a large container. Use a deep pot with drainage holes and a well-drained mix. Check 2 inches down every few days in summer and water when dry. Let it drain and empty the saucer. Give the young vine a small trellis so its tendrils grab that instead of nearby plants. Plant it out by its second year so the roots can spread.

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

Roger's Red Grape: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.310.74–
Feb0.210.260.320.350.93–
Mar0.350.430.460.521.46–
Apr0.470.610.560.641.89–
May0.580.830.640.782.39–
Jun0.640.990.690.922.85–
Jul0.641.070.7913.04–
Aug0.60.950.740.932.79–
Sep0.50.720.60.742.14–
Oct0.350.470.460.531.46–
Nov0.190.220.330.360.93–
Dec0.120.140.260.270.65–
Year4.86.846.27.3721.27–

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 low water in the Central Valley, like Roger's Red grape. 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 JulyFleeceflowerFallopia baldschuanica (Polygonum aubertii)low 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 JulyBlue Dawn Morning GloryIpomoea acuminatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPerennial HollyhockAlcea rosea cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMadroneArbutus menziesiilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTufted HairgrassDeschampsia cespitosa and cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMacNab CypressHesperocyparis macnabiana (Cupressus macnabiana)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia JuniperJuniperus californicalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJune GrassKoeleria macrantha (cristata)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLippia GroundcoverPhyla nodiflora (Lippia nodiflora) cvs.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 Roger's Red grape, 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 Roger's Red grape in summer?

In July, established Roger's Red grape 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 Roger's Red grape need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Roger's Red grape 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 Roger's Red grape change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Roger's Red grape 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, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Are Roger's Red grapes edible?

Yes. The small, dark purple grapes have tasty juice but large seeds and bitter skins. Birds find them very attractive.

How do I get the best fall color on Roger's Red?

Grow it in full sun, which brings the brightest scarlet. Plants in shade color less, so keep watering lean and give it all the sun you can.

How big does Roger's Red grape get?

It grows fast and can spread 15 to 30 feet or more on a support. Prune at any time to keep it in bounds.

Is Roger's Red a California native?

It is a hybrid between the native California wild grape and the wine grape 'Alicante Bouschet'. Once established, it handles dry summers well.

Can you overwater Roger's Red grape?

Yes. Once established it needs little water, and frequent watering pushes soft growth and can keep the roots too wet. Let the soil dry well between deep soakings.

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Sources