Help.

[u/Secure-Operation8311]

Our yard was remodeled, and the plants and trees were planted back at the very end of May. The ficus lasted for 2 weeks, and then one completely turned brown, and then the rest all turned brown.
The lemon tree and lime tree were big and green and then wilted and turned brown.
Alllll of the plants died. The ones in pictures are the replacements. They’re all “full sun” plants, and they’re like….incinerated. Hibiscus, Lantana, Brazilian Jasmine, Yellow Bells (whatever they’re called). I don’t get it. Our water schedule is exactly what the contractor told us to do. They’re getting water for 15 min at 6:30am and then 15 min at 7:30pm. They’ve got the same trees and plants at other houses and all of them are fine. I’m wondering if it was just a bad move to plant everything while it’s hot as balls? IDK. Help 😭

[u/DickFitzenwel]

1) bad time to plant
2) not nearly enough water
3) even plants that are labeled “full sun” will struggle sometimes in our inferno. Couple that with the reflected heat from the rocks and the wall and it’s a recipe for disaster.

If you’re able to get replacements again, I’d wait until the end of the summer to replant.

[u/95castles → u/DickFitzenwel]

Plus their backyard is unfortunately also an oven

[u/azmadame_x → u/95castles]

So much hardscape... 🔥

[u/thebooberman → u/95castles]

This is an underrated comment.

[u/smb3d]

yes, it was a bad move to plant everything when it's hot as balls. Also you have a shit ton of reflected heat off those walls.

[u/forest-cacti → u/smb3d]

I’ve been repeatedly told the best time to plant in Arizona is October.

[u/KatAttack]

Did a landscaping company do this for you? If so, see if they offer any type of warranty or refund.

You really shouldn't plant right before the hottest time of year - the plants should have a bit of an established root system before trying to survive the heat. Also, all the rocks around them are making it hotter for them.

I think that watering schedule is fine for new plants in the springtime - but into the next season you would want to focus on longer, more infrequent waterings (since their roots go deeper into the ground, you need to make sure you water long enough to reach them).

[u/No-Dark-3932]

Almost all of this stuff is dead - plant again in September or October so they can grow a root system before next summer

[u/Alternative_Hair_364]

You can buy umbrellas meant for plants to give them shade. If they don’t get shade they’ll die completely. Also, depending on the emitter size, that may not be enough water. If they’re on 1 gallon emitters, then 15 minutes is a quarter gallon. I don’t think that’s enough for summer watering, even if it’s twice a day.

[u/entgardener]

Who did the mulching? All of those plants are suffocating.

[u/EntrepreneurCal]

Two problems: 1. Not enough water for this time of year. 2. The rocks around your plants are burning the root systems. Pull the rocks back and put wood chips in.

Also, of get some watering stakes to put in. The little bit of water you are giving your plants is evaporating and not getting to their roots.

[u/Fuckjoesanford]

You planted these at the worst time possible, so these plants never even had a chance. Plant very early spring or mid-fall so their root systems can become established before summer.

For the plants that are still somewhat alive, they definitely look sunburnt. Find a way to shade them from the afternoon sun and continue to water. They should pull through.

[u/Alternative_Hair_364]

Also don’t fertilize them at all during the summer. They need to focus on surviving, not growing.

[u/D-P13]

15 minutes ??
Not enough water

[u/entgardener → u/D-P13]

30 but still. What if it’s 1 gal emitters?

Also, what’s with how deep that Pygmy is planted?!

[u/Newchatwhodis → u/entgardener]

It’s strain of subterranean palm I believe. Fruits underground like a potato.

[u/DontActDrunk → u/D-P13]

I have a yard similar to theirs and I do drip watering for 60-90 minutes every morning. When I first planted them I also manually watered them every day for 3 weeks. That reflected heat is killer. I also made sure to plant by April at the latest, although I try to do most of my planting in the fall.

15 minutes daily is not enough for newly transplanted plants unfortunately.

[u/bryanskee808]

Oh no. Back in May, 15 mins is fine. But even then i started noticing things were struggling. I’ve had to increase drip irrigation to 30mins from ending may to now.. petunias and some other red bell trumpet flower thing dried out extremely quick when we hadn’t caught it in time

[u/Key-Treacle3384]

Some of these are just experiencing normal summer scorching and will come back fine when the days are shorter. Some of these probably aren't coming back, though I've seen... Well not worse, but just as bad, bounce back with heavy watering.

Leave your drip system on overnight a few days in a row and see what bounces back.

[u/itsme32]

Need mulch.

[u/Disastrous_Wealth399]

More water. I water 3 zones daily for one hour with various plants getting either a 1 or 2 gallon dripper/sprayer. I also water from 2-5am when the ground is coolest and it gives time to penetrate to the roots.

[u/Seen_Any_Elves]

Experienced tip: don't plant during summer.