WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Genista pilosa 'Vancouver Gold', WUCOLS IV

How often to water Vancouver Gold genista in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Vancouver Gold genista in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 7.6 gallons a week. Vancouver Gold genista is a fast, mat-forming selection of silkyleaf broom, only 6 to 8 inches tall, with gray-green stems and leaves. In spring and summer it disappears under bright yellow pea flowers that draw bees. It thrives in full sun and poor, sandy, well-drained soil, and it fixes its own nitrogen.

Ground coverShrubRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Vancouver Gold genista, 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 Vancouver Gold genista 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 3 inches down under the mat in summer signals Vancouver Gold genista is ready for water
  • Gray-green stems going limp and the mat losing its spring in hot weather can indicate thirst
  • Bare, brown patches in the center after a hot spell can follow a dried-out root zone
  • White powdery coating on stems and leaves suggests mildew from humid air or wet foliage
  • Leggy, sparse growth with few flowers points to too much shade rather than water

How to water it

  • Water the soil under the mat with low drip or a gentle hose, not over the top
  • Soak 6 to 8 inches down, then let the top couple of inches dry before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun in poor, sandy, fast-draining soil, such as a slope or rock garden
  • Skip fertilizer, since it fixes its own nitrogen
  • Widen the watered area as the mat spreads outward

Through the seasons

Water a new mat regularly until stems begin to spread, then give deeper soaks less often. Established plants tolerate dry spells once rooted in. The species is deciduous, so the mat thins in winter and leafs out with spring bloom. Dry, sunny summers suit it, and humid air invites mildew. WUCOLS rates Vancouver Gold genista moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast. It has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Vancouver Gold genista spills well over the edge of a wide, shallow pot or wall planter in full sun. Use a sandy, fast-draining mix. Feel it an inch or two down and water once that depth is dry; in heat that can be every few days. Let the water drain through and empty the saucer. Trim lightly after bloom. In winter, water only if rain has not kept the mix moist.

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
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Vancouver Gold Genista: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–0.78––
Feb0.530.65–0.87––
Mar0.871.09–1.3––
Apr1.181.52–1.61––
May1.462.08–1.95––
Jun1.612.48–2.29––
Jul1.612.67–2.51––
Aug1.492.39–2.33––
Sep1.241.8–1.86––
Oct0.871.18–1.33––
Nov0.470.56–0.9––
Dec0.310.34–0.68––
Year1217.11–18.41––

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 Vancouver Gold genista. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate 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 JulyIvyHedera helixmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySpireaSpiraea spp. (CA native and non native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyButterfly BushBuddleja davidii and hybridsmoderate 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 July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Vancouver Gold genista in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & 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 JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low 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 JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow 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 Vancouver Gold genista, 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 Vancouver Gold genista in summer?

In July, established Vancouver Gold genista 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 Vancouver Gold genista need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Vancouver Gold genista needs about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 4.3 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 Vancouver Gold genista change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Vancouver Gold genista 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, not evaluated 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.

Can I walk on Vancouver Gold genista?

It tolerates light foot traffic, so it works beside stepping stones. Heavy traffic breaks the twiggy stems. Use it along walkways rather than in them.

How should I prune Vancouver Gold genista?

Prune lightly to shape after flowering. Avoid cutting into the old, woody stems. A light trim keeps the mat dense.

Why is my genista not flowering?

Shade makes it leggy and untidy with fewer flowers. Move it to full sun. Extra water will not make up for low light.

Does Vancouver Gold genista need fertilizer?

No, as a legume it fixes nitrogen and prefers poor soil. Fertilizer pushes soft growth. Keep it lean and well drained.

Is Vancouver Gold genista evergreen?

The species is deciduous, so expect a thinner mat in winter. Its gray-green stems still show through. Fresh leaves return with spring growth.

More plant watering guides

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Sources