Steps To Take To Save Your Trees
Drought Gardening Tips
In The Garden
How to protect your trees during the drought!
Trees are one of the most expensive plants in your landscape. Not just because of the replacement cost, which replacement of an established large tree can run up to $ 20,000, but because it provides a canopy to reduce energy use by keeping you house cool during the summer, they provide wildlife habitats and produce oxygen for you family. We all need to conserve water during this drought but let’ s not cut off our nose despite our face. Our lawn, shrubs and trees can survive with the allotted 1 to 2 times a week of water but if we just stop watering all together it’ s going to run much more than the rebate of $ 2 a square foot in cost. Not just monetary but environmental costs as well.
Steps To Take To Save Your Trees
• Deeply irrigate your trees on the allotted days to water.
• If renovating protect major roots near the soil surface. Removal of roots should be kept to an absolute minimum.
• Trenching under the canopy of the tree should be avoided.
* Water the tree to survive! Placing 4 drip emitters near the trunk of a mature tree is not sufficient. The irrigation should provide water throughout the root zone and extend beyond to allow for the future growth( ideally at least two times the diameter of the tree canopy). At a minimum, if you are putting in new irrigation make sure the drip zone covers 70 % of the tree to minimize stress.
• Remember correct water management is not just how much is applied but where it is applied.
• Mulch your landscape to help keep the moisture – 2-3” of bark but keep 8-10” around the base of the tree clear of mulch to prevent problems with fungus.
Drought Gardening Tips
• Fertilize with low nitrogen fertilizers on your lawn and garden.
• Use CAL-CM / Gypsum to help break up your ground to receive the water you are putting down.
• Mulch with 2-3” of bark / mulch.
• Mow your lawn at 2.5-3” high.
Bought to you by Garden Accents
11155 Lena Avenue • 408.846.4555 • garden-accents. net
If replacing your irrigation system don’ t forget to do your homework, just like computer systems they have come a long way. Using Sub Surface Drip irrigations can save you up to 70 % of water on your lawn and garden!
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN JULY / AUGUST 2015 gmhtoday. com
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