Understanding how vegetation restoration regulates rainfall-soil moisture interactions is critical for predicting hydrological responses in watershed landscapes. However, few studies have simultaneously investigated full-profile (0-6 m) moisture dynamics, event-scale infiltration processes and vegetation-specific response patterns under natural rainfall conditions. We combined high-frequency soil-moisture monitoring to quantify vertical dynamics and event-scale infiltration under five land covers (Pinus tabuliformis, Platycladus orientalis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Malus domestica, and Festuca arundinacea) in the Loess watershed of China. From May-October 2025, rainfall totalled 698.6 mm (535.2 mm in the growing season) and was dominated by summer storms. All land covers showed strong vertical gradients; the 10-30 cm layer varied most (CV 32%-61%), whereas deep layers (>= 150 cm) were comparatively stable (CV 4%-12%), indicating a shallow response zone over a deep storage zone. Cumulative profile infiltration ranged from 304.3 mm (Malus domestica) to 457.4 mm (Robinia pseudoacacia), with infiltration efficiencies of 0.44-0.65; Festuca arundinacea (0.63) and Robinia pseudoacacia (0.65) exceeded conifer plantations by 18%-38%. Event infiltration increased linearly with rainfall depth (slope 0.52-0.76 mm/mm; R 2 = 0.68-0.88) and duration (R 2 = 0.54-0.79) but was weakly related to maximum 10-min intensity. Near-surface responses lagged rainfall onset by 0-2.5 h, while peaks at >= 50 cm occurred 1-6 days later, with 27%-41% shorter lags under Festuca arundinacea and Robinia pseudoacacia than under conifers. These results quantify vegetation controls on the magnitude and timing of rainfall-soil moisture coupling, informing restoration designs that conserve soil water and sustain infiltration.