But following the watering schedule doesn’t seem like enough. Won’t my grass die?

Posted on Monday , August 16 , 2021 by

Most landscape plants get more water than they need. You can keep landscaping alive even during the worst summer heat by following these tips:

• Start early in the year! (Late March is best) to condition your lawn to the watering schedule. (From October to March, you probably will not have to water at all.) Water deeply 1 to 1.5 inches. This practice will encourage deep root systems and make for healthier, drought tolerant grass.
• Use native plants that do well on little water.
• Try not to plant or install new sod in the summer months. New grass, plants and shrubs require frequent watering for quite a while. Many new plants will die in the Texas summer heat even with constant watering. Give your plants time to get established before facing the summer heat.
• Mulch around plants to hold in water and discourage weeds.
• Install efficient irrigation systems. Avoid sprinklers with fine sprays. Don’t water during the heat of the day (10AM to 7PM) when 60% of the water will be lost to evaporation. Install a moisture sensor system so that you will not be watering when it is raining.
• Use Drip irrigation for bedded plants, trees, and shrubs.
• Adjust automatic sprinkler systems so they water the landscaping and not sidewalks, driveways and pavement.
• Don’t water on windy days.
• Water only enough to restore water lost to evapotranspiration (ET). If it rains during the week, subtract the rainfall from your required watering amount.