Water Wise Gardening Tips

Protect your trees from drought
When watering your lawn and other plants, don't overlook the trees in your yard. Trees are a valuable investment and take years to reach their full maturity and beauty. Also, the added comfort from shade during the long, hot summer months can help save money on your utility bills.

On the other hand, having a dead tree removed from your property could easily cost $500. But trees don't have to die, and homeowners don't have to pay big bucks to have them cut down. Something as simple as a little watering can make a big difference. It takes trees months to recover from one moderate drought. Trees don't passively stand by as the environment becomes harsher and more damaging. They actively struggle to conserve water and survive. For all trees, struggle is intense and can be permanently damaging.

Water large trees when watering other plants
Spring is the time to start watering trees because they have started to grow new leaves. Typically, the best technique for watering trees is to water under the crown of the tree. Translated, this means to concentrate watering from the base of the trunk to about three feet out. Make sure trees get 1 to 3 inches of water each week. A deep, soil-soaking watering once a week works best. Most trees roots grow in the top 12 inches of soil, so that is the area you need to wet.

Drought stress in trees
Rarely does Mother Nature supply the "perfect" amount of water for perfect tree growth. Most of the time, supplies are less than ideal. Inadequate water in the soil for trees' essential biological and physical functions creates a state that is called "drought stress." A tree "knows" when water is in short supply. As water becomes harder to collect, the tension on the leaves becomes greater. The browned leaves beneath a tree in summer is a visible sign of water shortages and the tree's reaction. Even if rain comes in abundant supply, once the leaves are off the tree, the damage has already been done -- both above and below ground.

Watering the lawn - made easy!
The key to successful irrigation of home lawns is to prepare your plants and grass to use as little water as possible and remain green and growing. This is achieved by developing plants and grasses with deep roots. A common mistake in lawn care is applying too much or not enough water. Most plants in your landscape, once they are established, can go days or even weeks without irrigation. In fact, over-watering (or watering too frequently) is one of the leading plant problems. Your best guide for determining when to water is the plant itself. Wilting and a pale, grayish-green color are the most common symptoms in plants needing water. Most turf grasses grown in Georgia need about one inch of water per week during the summer to remain green and healthy. If you can walk through your grass and see your footprints, it is a sign that the grass needs water.

When watering grass, putting down one-inch of water per week is a good rule of thumb. The best time to water is early in the morning. As much as 30 percent of water applied during the day can be lost to evaporation by the sun. Make sure you adjust your sprinklers so that sidewalks and streets are not being watered. Set the timer on your sprinkler so that no more than one-inch of water is applied to grass once a week. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, invest in a water sensor to prevent over-watering and to prevent watering during a rain shower. For plant beds, apply water using a hand-held hose, drip trickle irrigation, micro-sprinklers or a soaker hose. Do-it-yourself drip irrigation systems, available from most garden centers, use 30 to 50 percent less water than sprinklers and can be attached directly to outdoor faucets.

Mulching Mulches hold moisture in the soil, help prevent weeds, inhibit certain soil-borne diseases, and insulate roots against extremes in temperature. Mulch also provides a buffer zone between the turf and plants and helps prevent injury from weed trimmers and lawn mowers. The best mulch is organic, fine-textured and non-matting. Examples include pine needles or pine straw, pine bark mini-nuggets, hardwood chips and cypress shavings. Fall leaves make an excellent and economical mulch that adds valuable humus back to the soil as it decomposes. Organic mulches, such as pine straw or pine bark, break down and decompose over time and should be replenished at least once a year. Avoid placing plastic film under mulches, because it prevents water, nutrients and oxygen from reaching the roots of plants. Landscape fabric can be used instead under mulch. It allows water, nutrients and oxygen to reach the roots of plants and prevents the growth of some weeds. For best results, install landscape fabrics on weed-free ground and avoid getting soil on top of the fabric.

Click here for a list of drought-tolerant plants, grasses, vines, bulbs, shrubs and trees. Additional information may be obtained at the Whitfield County Extension Office, located at 420 N. Hamilton St.

Creating a xeriscape plan
A xeriscape is a landscape that conserves water and protects the environment. A xeriscape plan divides your landscape into usage areas and water-use "zones" -- high (regular watering), moderate (occasional watering) and low (natural rainfall). There may be several of these zones within an individual landscape.

High water use zones are the small areas that are highly visible around a patio, front door, street frontage, etc., in which you might place flowers and plants that require regular watering in the absence of rainfall.

Moderate water use zones utilize established plants that are watered only as needed. Good plants for moderate water use zones include azalea, dogwood, redbud, Japanese maple and many herbaceous perennials.

Low water use zones include plants that are watered by natural rainfall and would not be irrigated. For greatest water conservation, design as much of your landscape as possible into low water-use zones. Most people are surprised to learn that the majority of our woody ornamental trees and shrubs, turf grasses, some herbaceous perennials and even some annuals (like vinca and verbena) grow well in low water-use zones without irrigation once they are established.

One exception to the water zone rule is newly planted ornamental plants and turf grasses. These plants require regular irrigation during the establishment period (8 to 10 weeks after planting), regardless of their intended water-use zone.