Association offers property owners tips to protect fall landscapes

With the fall season approaching, now is the ideal time for homeowners and commercial property owners to assess the condition of their lawns, plants, trees and shrubs to ensure they can endure the season, according to the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), the national association of lawn and landscape professionals.

“The fall season is the best time to access the landscape, your watering strategy and make any necessary adjustments to safeguard against drought,” said Norman Goldenberg, PLANET president. “Homeowners and property owners who assess and renovate their lawn and landscapes in the fall help protect their investment and make the most of the cooler weather and additional moisture that comes along with the fall season.”

PLANET offers the following steps to drought-proof lawns and landscapes this fall:

Consider low-water use plants or hydrozoning. Consider planting drought-proof (or low-water use) plants or hydrozoning, the practice of clustering plants together with similar water requirements in an effort to conserve water.  Plants are typically separated into three water need categories: very low, low, and medium. A Landscape Industry Certified professional can help property owners decide how to transition to this type of planting approach.

Audit and add water-saving tools. PLANET recommends having a land care professional “audit” your irrigation system or, perhaps, install one.  An irrigation system may need repair or adjustment, and a professional can also check for water distribution uniformity and make sure irrigation systems are installed and maintained properly.

Fall or winter is the best time for irrigation system design or repair since land care professionals are often less busy and rates may be more affordable.  Also, consider reusing water with rain barrels to retain rainwater for later use in the garden.

Give grass some TLC. With cooler weather and more moisture in the fall, growth–and green color–will return to turf grass.  But, use the cooler weather to aerate the lawn by removing small soil plugs out of the lawn. Aeration allows the roots to go deeper into the soil, more absorption of rainfall or irrigation, and the plants to better draw in water, nutrients and oxygen.

And, don’t forget to ask your lawn and landscape professional about drought-tolerant turf species that you could overseed in your lawn this fall.

Prepare the soil. Use a professional with the know-how and tools needed to break up and amend the soil. A special tool can be used to loosen or “fracture” soil 12 to 18 inches deep so roots penetrate deeper and the application of organic compost or other macro and micro nutrients is well distributed.

Revisit your watering plan.  Check with city ordinances on water restrictions. But, the general recommendation is to water early in the morning when temperatures are cooler. Also, avoid watering on windy days to minimize evaporation.  Remember, more damage can be done by overwatering plants.