It's getting Hot

Summer is upon us. The temperature is in the one-hundred-teens. While we spend most of the day inside a cool building or our homes, landscape plants must endure the heat.


Native trees and shrubs have adapted to this environment and can handle the heat. Its the other non-native things like Roses, Hibiscus, Daylily and container plants that take a beating.


Probably the most important way to help all of our plants survive summer is by watering properly. That simply means, water deeply through the entire root system. For established desert adapted shrubs and trees, about once every 7 to 21 days depending on the plant type.


Drip irrigation is the standard method of watering here in the Desert. Water is applied slowly over a long period of time. For small plants, the soil should be watered to a depth of 12 inches. Larger shrubs need the water to soak down 24 inches. Trees take longer to water because the water needs to wet the soil to a depth of 24 to 36 inches. Seems like a lot of water. Not really. All desert adapted plants need to be watered deeply but infrequently.


Well meaning people waste a lot of water by overwatering their Xeriscape (low water) plants.


Its the 'other' non-desert adapted plants that we need to watch carefully at this time of year. Miss one watering and some plants will crisp right up in a day. Watering deeply once every 3 to 7 days might be necessary. Container plants might need watering every 1 to 3 days depending on what type they are.