How to repair drought-damaged Lawn, Trees and Shrubs
Learn how to save your landscape even in drought conditions!
Lawn
Fertilize – In light of our Texas drought and water restrictions, providing your lawn with nutrients can ensure that it will recover completely this Spring 2012. Applying fertilizer will help the grass to emerge and prepare for Fall and Winter. If your neighborhood is under water regulation and you have only limited access to irrigation, apply lawn food in sections. Just prior to fertilizing each section make sure to water your lawn thoroughly. Repeat section by section.
Water - Often, watering problem landscape areas briefly before the actual irrigation schedule helps water penetrate more deeply when its irrigation time arrives.
Control Weeds –Applying pre-emergent weed killers helps control and kill annual weeds that use water and nutrients your lawn grass needs.
Trees
Stress symptoms –Most native trees survive these sorts of weather extremes by shutting down many plant processes to conserve energy, so don’t overreact by over-feeding or over-watering.
Fertilize – Feeding trees, especially mature shade trees, requires that you apply fertilizer to the drip line around the tree, not next to the tree’s trunk. Using slow-release and organic fertilizers ensures that your trees receive nutrients over an extended period of time.
Water – Consider setting slow, soakers around the drip line of your trees as your local water restrictions allow. Also, removing all weeds and grass from around the trunk out to about 10 feet from the trunk and covering this with mulch reduces water competition.
Shrubs
Check for damage – Lightly scrape the stems on bushes that have brown leaves with a sharp knife. If you see fresh green tissue, then that stem is alive even if the leaves have scorched or browned. Remove stems that have failed the scratch test and revealed brown, dry tissue.
Fertilize –Feed shrubs that have passed the scratch test and any others that still look good. Use slow-release or organic fertilizers that provide nutrients over an extended period.
Water – Deep watering is what our flowering shrubs and landscapes need now. Mulch your shrub beds with a minimum of 3-4 inches of mulch, something like Cedar or Hardwood mulch, and even consider applying compost prior to applying a new layer of mulch to help retain moisture.