WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Potentilla neumanniana, WUCOLS IV

How often to water spring cinquefoil in California

In July in the Central Valley, established spring cinquefoil 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. Spring cinquefoil is a low, mat-forming groundcover about 6 inches tall that spreads by runners and seed. Its small, deep green leaves are evergreen in mild winters, and bright yellow buttercup-like flowers cover it from spring into summer. It handles dry and moist conditions alike but will not tolerate standing water.

Ground coverRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water spring cinquefoil, 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 spring cinquefoil 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 inches down under the mat in summer signals spring cinquefoil needs water
  • Leaves losing their sheen and the mat looking flat can indicate thirst
  • Brown patches opening in the carpet after a hot spell can follow a dry root zone
  • Yellowing, rotting patches where water collects point to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water the mat with a gentle spray or low drip early in the day
  • Wet the soil 4 to 6 inches down, then let the top inch dry
  • Plant in full sun to part shade in any soil that drains
  • Avoid low spots where water stands after rain
  • Widen watering as runners carry the mat outward

Through the seasons

Keep a new planting moist until runners begin to root. Established mats tolerate both dry and moist soil, though they stay greener with occasional summer soaks. Flowers appear from late spring through summer. It stays evergreen in mild winters. WUCOLS rates spring cinquefoil moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. The low desert also carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert.

In pots

Spring cinquefoil spills nicely from a shallow bowl, wall planter or hanging basket. Use well-drained mix and water when the top inch is dry, until it drains. A thin layer of mix dries fast, so check every day or two in heat. Empty the saucer. Trim runners that trail too far. In winter, water only if the mix dries between rains. Divide a crowded pot in spring.

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
0.711.42.12.90.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.711.42.12.90.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Spring Cinquefoil: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.78–0.78
Feb0.530.650.810.87–0.93
Mar0.871.091.151.3–1.52
Apr1.181.521.41.61–1.95
May1.462.081.611.95–2.45
Jun1.612.481.742.29–2.79
Jul1.612.671.982.51–2.85
Aug1.492.391.862.33–2.6
Sep1.241.81.491.86–2.08
Oct0.871.181.151.33–1.49
Nov0.470.560.840.9–0.96
Dec0.310.340.650.68–0.68
Year1217.1115.518.41–21.08

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 spring cinquefoil. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Star JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHoneysuckleLonicera japonicamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyIvyHedera helixmoderate 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 JulyBunchberryCornus canadensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyKenilworth IvyCymbalaria muralismoderate 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 JulySpotted DeadnettleLamium maculatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLemon BalmMelissa officinalismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese SpurgePachysandra terminalismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMoss PinkPhlox subulatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than spring cinquefoil 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 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 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 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 JulyRock SoapwortSaponaria ocymoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMother of ThymeThymus praecoxlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyVancouver Jade BearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Vancouver Jade'low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTrailing LantanaLantana montevidensis (sellowiana) ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGermanderTeucrium chamaedrys ssp. & 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 spring cinquefoil, 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 spring cinquefoil in summer?

In July, established spring cinquefoil 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 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 spring cinquefoil need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates spring cinquefoil separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region 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 I walk on spring cinquefoil?

It is used between paving stones and on garden walls. It works at path edges. Avoid heavy foot traffic.

Does spring cinquefoil spread?

Yes, it spreads by runners and seed to form a carpet. That makes it a good living mulch. Pull plants that wander into beds.

Is spring cinquefoil deer resistant?

Yes, it is resistant to deer. Damage is more likely from soggy soil. Check drainage first.

Does spring cinquefoil stay green in winter?

It is evergreen in mild winter regions. In colder spots it may look tired until spring. Water sparingly in winter.

Can spring cinquefoil replace a lawn?

It can cover small areas that get little foot traffic. It needs no mowing. It will not handle play areas.

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Sources