WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Atriplex (CA native species) & ssp. & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water saltbush in California

In July in the Central Valley, established saltbush in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across. Saltbush is a group of California native shrubs with gray or silvery leaves, among them four-wing saltbush and big saltbush. They grow wild in deserts, alkali flats and coastal scrub, and they tolerate salty, alkaline soil. Established shrubs need little water. Too much water is the real danger, since saltbush kept moist is prone to root rot.

Ground coverShrubCalifornia nativeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water saltbush, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 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 saltbush 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 4 to 6 inches down around a newly planted saltbush means it is ready for a deep soak
  • Leaf drop in a long, hot dry spell is a known drought response in these shrubs, not a reason for frequent watering
  • Shed old leaves carry stored salt out of the plant, so some leaf fall is normal
  • Gray, scaly leaves are the plant's normal color and do not signal thirst
  • Wilting or yellowing over soil that stays moist points to root rot, the main risk for overwatered saltbush

How to water it

  • Give a new saltbush a few deep soakings over its root ball while its roots spread, then taper off
  • Plant in full sun in soil with excellent drainage, including sandy, alkaline or salty ground
  • Keep it away from lawn sprinklers and beds that stay moist, since constant moisture invites root rot
  • Place any summer water at the outer edge of the shrub, and let the soil dry deeply between soaks

Through the seasons

Give a new saltbush a few deep soakings through its first summer, until roots reach well past the planting hole. After that it needs little help. These shrubs are evergreen or partly deciduous, and some drop leaves in summer if grown dry. Tiny flowers come in summer or fall. WUCOLS rates saltbush very low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. Winter rain covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley. It rates low water in the high desert and the low desert, where summer soil checks matter more.

In pots

Most saltbushes grow into broad shrubs, so a container suits a young plant or a short stay before planting out. Use a wide pot with open drainage holes and a gritty, fast-draining mix. Check the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer heat, and water only when it is dry there. Water until it runs from the holes, then empty the saucer. A pot that stays wet is the quickest way to lose saltbush to root rot. In winter, feel the mix before watering, since rain may be enough.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
0.27gal per sq ft in JulyVery low water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
1.71 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.300.610.921.20.04JAN0.07FEB0.11MAR0.15APR0.21MAY0.25JUN0.27JUL0.24AUG0.18SEP0.12OCT0.06NOV0.03DEC0.300.610.921.20.04JFM0.15AMJ0.27JAS0.12OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 0.27 in Jul, 1.71 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.040.040.080.080.30.31
Feb0.050.070.080.090.370.37
Mar0.090.110.110.130.580.61
Apr0.120.150.140.160.760.78
May0.150.210.160.20.950.98
Jun0.160.250.170.231.141.12
Jul0.160.270.20.251.221.14
Aug0.150.240.190.231.121.04
Sep0.120.180.150.190.860.83
Oct0.090.120.110.130.580.6
Nov0.050.060.080.090.370.38
Dec0.030.030.070.070.260.27
Year1.21.711.551.848.518.43

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

OleanderNerium oleander ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyAgaveAgave americana (and thick-leaved relatives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCactusOpuntia spp. & cvs. (CA natives and non-natives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySpanish BroomSpartium junceumvery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyPearl AcaciaAcacia podalyriifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBig SagebrushArtemisia tridentatavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Scrub OakQuercus berberidifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyNuttall's Scrub OakQuercus dumosavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCreosote BushLarrea tridentata ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple SageSalvia leucophylla ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlack SageSalvia mellifera ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBeaked YuccaYucca rostrata ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyToyonHeteromeles arbutifolia ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyFox Tail AgaveAgave attenuata (and thin-leaved relatives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyOak TreesQuercus agrifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySalt CedarTamarix aphyllavery low water, Central Valley0.27 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 saltbush, 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 saltbush in summer?

In July, established saltbush in loam needs a deep watering about once a month or less in the Central Valley, about once a month or less on the south coast and about once a month or less 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 saltbush need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established saltbush needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 0.4 gallons a day for a plant 8 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 saltbush change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates saltbush separately for each of the six California climate zones: very low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, very low water in the Central Valley zone, very low water in the South Coastal zone, very low water in the South Inland zone, low water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, low 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 saltbush evergreen?

Most native saltbushes are evergreen or partly so. Four-wing saltbush, big saltbush and Atriplex confertifolia may drop leaves in summer when grown dry. Leaf drop in a hard drought is a normal response, not a reason to water often.

Can saltbush grow in salty or alkaline soil?

Yes. That is its specialty. Saltbush moves excess salt into bladders on its leaves, and it sheds the salt as old leaves fall. Big saltbush also tolerates saline and sodic soil.

Is saltbush good for birds?

Yes. Four-wing saltbush is known as a very good bird plant. Big saltbush gives quail seeds and dense cover, and it is especially valuable to songbirds.

How big does saltbush get?

It depends on the species. Atriplex confertifolia stays 1 to 3 feet tall, four-wing saltbush reaches 2 to 6 feet, and big saltbush grows 3 to 10 feet tall and as wide or wider. Pick the species to fit the space.

Do rabbits and deer eat saltbush?

Young plants get browsed. Where rabbits or deer roam, cage a new four-wing saltbush until its foliage reaches 3 to 4 feet.

Can saltbush get too much water?

Yes. Saltbush needs some stress from drought or salt, or it becomes very prone to root rot. A shrub on a lawn sprinkler line is at risk. Let the soil dry deeply between soaks.

More plant watering guides

Mexican Palo VerdeFoothill PineCalifornia Scrub OakCalifornia ButtercupGiant ScillaInterior Live OakBlue OakNuttall's Scrub Oak

Sources