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1. WATER WELL AROUND FOUNDATIONS (BE SURE TO WATER AT LEAST 10′ AROUND FOUNDATIONS AS MOISTURE WILL BE LOST TO SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE.) WATER YOUR FOUNDATION AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK . USE A SOAKER HOSE FOR THIS PROCESS. THIS DISPENSES THE WATER SLOWING AND THE GROUND WILL ABSORB MORE USING THIS METHOD.
2. MULCH YOUR FLOWER BEDS (THIS WILL HOLD MOISTURE FOR YOUR SHRUBS AND FOUNDATION.) GO FOR AT LEAST TWO INCHES OF MULCH (THREE WOULD BE IDEAL) YOUR CHOICES ARE PINE BARK , HARDWOOD, OR CYPRESS MULCH. WHICH MULCH YOU CHOOSE IS A PERSONAL PREFERENCE DUE TO LOOK & COLOR. WE RECOMMEND YOU USE A SHREDDED MULCH SINCE IT WILL PACK TIGHTER AND HOLD MORE MOISTURE FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
3. MOW OFTEN & AT AN INCREASED HEIGHT ( THIS WILL PUT LESS STRESS ON YOUR TURF BY LEAVING AS MUCH LEAF ON THE PLANT AS POSSIBLE) THE LEAF CREATES A CANOPY THAT SHADES THE GROUND, AND THIS SLOWS THE GROUND FROM LOSING MOISTURE AND DRYING OUT. THE LEAF ALSO CONVERTS FOOD THROUGH PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND GIVES YOUR TURF ITS COLOR. SHADING THE GROUND HELPS TO REDUCE THE GERMINATION ON WEEDS.
4. WATER YOUR TURF AS MUCH AS YOU ARE ALLOWED THIS SPRING. THERE IS A REAL POSSIBILITY THE NORTH TEXAS WATER BOARD WILL IMPOSE STAGE 4 WATERING RESTRICTIONS BY APRIL 1, 2012. THE HEALTHIER YOUR LAWN IS GOING INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS THE MORE LIKELY IT WILL SURVIVE THE DROUGHT .
5. APPLY SURFACTANTS TO THE TURF AND BEDS TO REDUCE WATER LOST IN THE SOIL. THIS PRODUCT WILL, IN MOST CASES, HELP HOLD MOISTURE FOR UP TO 90 DAYS. HOLDING MOISTURE IN TURF AREAS COULD BE THE VERY THING THAT SAVES YOUR LAWN & TREES AND SHRUBS THIS SUMMER. IT ALSO HAS ADDITIONAL VALUE IN PROVIDING MORE MOISTURE TO YOUR HOMES’ FOUNDATION.
6. DEEP ROOT FERTILIZE TREES AND SHRUBS IN THE EARLY SPRING AND USE A DEEP ROOT FEEDER TO WATER TREES AND SHRUBS DURING THE SEASON. (THIS WILL ALSO REDUCE WATER LOSS SINCE YOU ARE INJECTING THE WATER DIRECTLY INTO THE GROUND.) WATERING THE TREES AND SHRUBS SHOULD BE DONE AS OFTEN AS YOU ARE ALLOWED . REMEMBER THE FEEDER ROOTS ON TREES AND SHRUBS ARE NOT AT THE BASE OF THE TREE OR SHRUB. THEY ARE ONE THIRD THE DISTANCE IN FROM THE DRIP LINE AND ONE THIRD THE DISTANCE OUT FROM THE DRIP LINE.
7. USE SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZERS TO REDUCE RAPID SURGE GROWTH ON THE TURF AREAS. THIS ALSO REDUCES THE WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR TURF. USING CHEAP FERTILIZERS THAT ARE ALL WATER SOLUBLE NITROGEN WILL ENCOURAGE A SURGE IN GROWTH AND REQUIRE LARGER AMOUNTS OF WATER AND WILL ALSO INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF THE MOWING CYCLE.