Trees are shedding leaves to conserve moisture. Lawns are a patchwork of green and brown. As our worst drought in years continues, watering wisely is a must.
Encourage roots to travel away from the hot ground surface by watering slowly and deeply. This also helps reduce runoff and moistens the soil several inches down. To slow evaporation, water early in the morning when temperatures are lower and the air is still. Apply organic mulch to conserve soil moisture, moderate soil temperatures and discourage weeds.
Even irrigated lawns are growing slowly. When it’s time to mow, cut St. Augustine at 3 inches, leaving enough blade to shade the soil and conserve moisture. Mulch mow, if possible, so grass blades can help replenish soil nutrients as they decompose.
Check potted plants daily; they dry out quickly in these conditions.
Keep bird baths full.
You can still plant heat-tolerant blooms and colorful foliage for summer color, but keep the soil moist as they establish: angelonia, black-eyed Susan, blue butterfly bush (Clerodendrum ugandense), ‘Blue Daze’, bird of paradise (caesalpinia), bananas, bulbine, canna, celosia, cleome, coleus, cuphea, duranta, yellow bells (Tecoma stans), gaura, gingers, gomphrena, hibiscus, lantana, oleander, penta, periwinkle, plumbago, plumeria, portulaca or moss rose, purple coneflower, ruellia, russelia, scaevola, salvias, shrimp plant, star grass (hypoxis), summer phlox, sunflower and sweet-potato vine.
Warm season herbs and vegetables to plant now include basil, mint, rosemary, cantaloupe, eggplant, okra, sweet potato, pumpkin and watermelon.
Deadhead: Remove spent flowers on annuals, perennials, roses, vitex and crape myrtles so they’ll rebloom.
Pest control: Watch for aphids, lantana lacebugs, mealybugs, scale and whiteflies. Try the least-toxic pesticides first.
Hire an arborist to remove dead or damaged tree branches. It’s hurricane season.