| (Find out more at a Water Efficient Landscapes Workshop)
By following the six previous steps toward water conservation in the landscape, you will have a beautiful landscape that not only saves water and money but also requires minimal maintenance. The objective of Xeriscape maintenance is to discourage water-demanding new growth on plants. In other words, keep plants healthy, but do not encourage growth at all times. Depending on your current level of maintenance, this may require you to fertilize less often with less fertilizer, to prune only when necessary and lightly when essential and, of course, to irrigate less. Remember, a Xeriscape-type landscape is a low-maintenance landscape. By working smarter, not harder, in the landscape, you'll save time, energy and water without sacrificing the beauty of the environment.
Fertilize Less and Use Slow-release Fertilizers
When purchasing a fertilizer, look closely at its contents. Nitrogen, the first number in the analysis, is the element that promotes new growth. Purchase a fertilizer having nitrogen in a slow-release form, such as sulfur-coated urea, urea formaldehyde, IBDU (isobutylene-diurea), or methylene urea. Some new products on the market feed plants for an entire growing season with one application. Slow-release type fertilizers generally cost more than soluble all-purpose garden fertilizers, such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10, but they last longer by releasing nutrients gradually. Also, they do not leach from the soil or wash away in run-off as readily as all-purpose fertilizers.
Always check the application rate on the label. The label usually suggests an application rate for optimum growth. This application rate is ideal for newly planted ornamental plants and turfgrasses to encourage healthy new growth and plant establishment. However, once plants are established, the recommended application rate of fertilizer can be reduced without sacrificing quality or appearance. This reduction in application rate is particularly important before or during dry periods.
Leaving grass clippings on turfgrass at each mowing, a process called grasscycling, supplies the grass with recycled nutrients and reduces the need for supplemental fertilizer. Grasscycling does not promote thatch, a spongy condition of the turf. Thatch results from a buildup of grass stems, shoots and roots, not clippings. As much as one-third of the nutrients applied to your lawn can be recycled back to the grass through grasscycling.
Soil Testing Saves Guesswork
Soil pH, a measure of a soil’s acidity or alkalinity, affects nutrient availability and uptake. Take a separate soil sample from your turf and ornamental areas every two to three years to monitor pH and nutrient levels to determine if you need to add lime or otherwise adjust the chemical balance of the soil. Soil testing is available through you local Cooperative Extension Service office.
Avoid Shearing Plants
Just like nitrogen fertilizer, shearing promotes water-demanding new growth on plants. When pruning is required, use hand shears or loppers to thin branches and twigs to a side branch or bud. Thinning results in a more open, natural canopy and is less stressful to the plant than shearing.
Proper Mowing Saves Water
Proper mowing practices are of particular importance in Xeriscape-type landscapes. Mow at the recommended height, and mow often enough so that no more than one-third of the leaf tissue is removed at each mowing. For example, if tall fescue is to be maintained at a height of 2 inches, then it would be cut when it reaches 3 inches. Research shows that raising the mower blade during dry weather and cutting the grass higher encourages deeper rooting, increases turf survival during drought and reduces water demand.
Mow turf in shaded areas higher than turf in full sun. Avoid scalping and stressing the grass and make certain the mower blade is sharp at all time.
Aerating Turfgrass Improves Water Movement
Aeration or coring of turf areas is sometimes required to relieve soil compaction and to increase air and water movement into the soil. It is particularly helpful on slopes where water run-off is possible and in areas of heavy foot traffic where compaction has occurred. Aeration is best accomplished with a power aerator that has hollow tines to remove small cores of soil. Many rental stores have this type of equipment available. Aeration is best during periods of active plant growth and when the soil is moist enough to allow deep penetration of the tines. Generally, aeration is used to correct soil problems and is not done on a routine basis.
Other Water-saving Maintenance Practices
Don't Let Weeds Compete With Plants for Water Scout the landscape regularly and don't let weeds take over. Hand weeding, chemical herbicides and mulches will help keep weeds in check.
Scout for Pests Before You Spray
As you scout for weeds, also scout for insect and disease pests. Control pests when they begin affecting the appearance and overall health of a plant. Target your control measures to the affected plants and avoid spraying the entire landscape if the pest problem is confined only to a small area.
Make Every Drop Count
Where irrigation systems are used, check nozzles and emitters regularly to see if they are operating efficiently and are delivering the right amount of water and in the right locations.
Let Your Plants Tell You When They Need Water
Learn to identify the symptoms shown by plants under water stress. Shrubs under moisture stress will turn a gray-green color and wilt. Trees will show premature fall color and shed leaves. Turfgrass will turn a dull gray-green color, and the blades will wilt and roll inward.
Survival Watering During Drought or Watering Restrictions
During drought or watering restrictions, consider the replacement cost of the plants in the landscape and do what you can to save the most valuable plants. Annual flowers can be replaced more readily than trees and shrubs. If you can not water, cut back annual flowers and mulch them heavily to help them survive a drought. Turfgrass and herbaceous perennials will go into a dormant state when under moisture stress. During watering restrictions, selectively hand water shrubs and trees showing drought stress. Although trees have an extensive "bank account" of roots to absorb water during dry periods, prolonged drought can severely stress and damage a large portion of their surface roots. A thorough watering of three small areas (60 gallons/100 square feet near the drip-line) each two weeks in clay soils and once a week in sandy soils using the handheld hose will minimize tree damage during an extended dry period. If restrictions do not allow you to water outdoors at all, prune back trees and shrubs by one-third to one-half when they become severely wilted and begin shedding leaves. This will reduce water demand on the roots and increase their chances of survival during drought. In some Georgia counties, the use of gray water (i.e., bath water or dish water) is permissible outdoors. Check with your local health department regarding the legality of using gray water outdoors.
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