As home gardening enthusiasts get ready for spring landscaping, they should consider landscapes and lawns that will keep looking fresh all summer, even as Greater Houston faces another year of drought. Many of these lawn care techniques are actually less work and more appealing. Because of a profusion of beautiful native plants in our area, it is possible to design some very attractive landscapes. More fertilizer requires more mowing, so start by fertilizing the lawn less.
Most lawns can get by with very little fertilization, often less than once a year.
Home gardeners typically apply 10 times the amount of pesticides per acre as does the typical farmer. This is not healthy for residents nor for the bayous where runoff goes. Apply weed and bug killers only when you see a real problem. Be sure to follow the instruction on the packaging. The philosophy that more is better is not true and can actually damage the lawn.