If your home’s landscape design doesn’t include an irrigation system, you may need to be extra vigilant about protecting the health of your trees, cacti, succulents, and other desert plants—especially during the drought conditions we’ve been experiencing in Southern Arizona. During the summer, the temperature routinely exceeds 100 degrees, and even native plants may suffer from dehydration and heat damage if they are not watered properly. Our landscape professionals at Horticulture Unlimited recommend using this guide to keeping your plants healthy all summer long when they aren’t on an irrigation system.
Keep Your Eye on the Daily Weather Forecasts
Make sure you are aware of the daily weather forecasts so that you know when you expect extreme heat or periods of drought. Adjust your watering schedule as needed, and consider using other methods to protect your plants, like mulch and shade structures.
Use Mulch or a Shade Structures
When you apply mulch to the roots or base of a tree or plant, you can protect it from the sun, reduce the risk of overheating, and help the soil retain moisture. Installing temporary shade structures can prevent the sun from scalding or burning plants, reduce water evaporation, and keep plants cool.
Water Deeply in the Early Mornings
Because water evaporates so quickly in the desert heat, it’s best to water in the early mornings. The cooler morning temperatures give your plants the best chance of using the water before it evaporates. Water deeply between 6 am and 9 am, allowing the soil to fully soak in the water before the summer temperatures reach their peak.
Recognize Symptoms of Heat Damage
Be on the lookout for signs of heat damage to your plants:
- Wilting or drooping leaves
- Cupped or rolled leaves
- Premature dropping of fruits or blossoms
- Yellow, brown, or black leaves
- Dry leaf edges
- Scorched or burned patches on leaves
Schedule Regular Landscape Maintenance
Professional landscape maintenance can reduce the risk of damage to your trees and plants. Proper tree care, weed control, and erosion control can direct water and nutrients to your landscaping instead of allowing them to go to waste. Landscape maintenance includes tree services like trimming and pruning, which removes old, damaged, and dying branches to provide more water and nutrients for healthy new growth. Maintenance services also include weed prevention, which can ensure that invasive weeds aren’t stealing water and nutrients from your plants.
Call Horticulture Unlimited for Irrigation Services
At Horticulture Unlimited, our landscape contractors offer personalized irrigation services, and can make sure your system is operating properly throughout the summer. We can design a custom landscape irrigation system or provide maintenance and repairs to existing irrigation in Tucson, AZ. If you don’t want to set up a drip irrigation system for trees or other plants, we can help you explore other options for keeping your plants safe and healthy throughout the harsh Tucson summers. We also offer landscape and backyard design, tree services and landscape maintenance. Call us today at (520) 321-4678 or contact us online to set up an initial consultation.