If your soil pH is 5.0 or less, use urea at the rate of 1 ounce per year of age. Be sure to distribute fertilizer evenly at least 10-12 inches from the base of the plant. Just as with your lawn areas, ornamentals in the landscape will need irrigation during July and August if we miss the afternoon showers for a week or two. Water deeply and infrequently when watering instead of shallowly and frequently. Water Conservation in the Landscape Water conservation in the landscape is an important topic that we need to be thinking about during the hot summer months.
Careful management can improve plant performance and still conserve moisture.
Organic matter increases the water holding capacity of a soil. Mulching reduces water demand by as much as 40 percent. Crowding plants increases competition for water. Weeds compete with your desired landscape plants for water. In lawn areas, avoid high rates of fertility, mow the grass high, use herbicides in the spring, aerate in the spring, leave grass clippings in place, and water well every 1-2 weeks to achieve maximum water conservation.