SAN ANGELO, Texas - With the arrival of spring and rising temperatures, plants need more water. But as we all are aware, water resources are low and we must be as efficient as possible when watering plants. In addition to keeping water bills down and preserving resources, following water-wise landscaping principles helps landscapes survive and be more attractive through heat and drought stress.
One benefit of the last few harsh summers is that we can see which plants are truly tough. Because good plant selection is the key to a beautiful, drought-tolerant landscape, choose plants that can take high temperatures and survive the harsh West Texas climate. That doesn't exclude attractive plants, many of which also are tough.
Some that have performed exceptionally well are yellow bells, pride of Barbados, flame acanthus, Texas sage and desert willow.
Now that San Angelo is in Drought Level 1, watering is limited to twice per week and is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. It is wise to water only in the morning or evening because watering during the hottest part of the day wastes a lot of water to evaporation — which is bad news for the water bill and the plants that don't get the moisture they need.
For homes that have automatic sprinkler systems, do an irrigation audit to check the sprinkler heads. Many homeowners never observe how well their sprinkler system is running because it comes on before dawn. Once or twice a season, run the system in daylight to make sure all heads are spraying correctly.
Also, do not overuse fertilizer. While extra nutrition may be needed for some, applying too much causes grass to need more water and more frequent mowing.
Do a soil test to find out how much fertilizer is needed.
Finally, mulch should be applied in all planting beds.
A 3-inch-deep layer helps keep moisture in the soil and reduce weed populations — which compete with landscape plants for water.
Allison Watkins is Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county extension agent for horticulture in Tom Green County. Contact her at email@example.com.
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