Getting ahead of drought

By Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension Agent, Okaloosa County

Theresa Friday, UF/IFAS Extension Agent in Santa Rosa County, provides the following guidelines related to landscape water management during dry periods.

Up to one-half of public water supply in Florida is devoted to landscape irrigation. Given Florida’s limited water resources, in combination with a rapidly growing population, wise irrigation practices will play an essential role in providing a sustainable water future for our state. Proper landscape design and irrigation system standards can help save significant amounts of water and money and achieve both attractive landscapes and protection of our natural resources.
 

CURRENT LARRY WILLIAMS COLUMNS CAN BE FOUND HERE

Set priorities. Water highly visible and intensively managed areas first. Drought-sensitive plants should have high priority and grass should have lower priority.

Watering early (between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.) while it is cooler and less windy results in less water loss from evaporation and wind drift.

On established plantings, irrigate deeply at long intervals rather than watering frequently and shallowly. Deep watering improves drought resistance by promoting deeper, more extensive root systems. Depth of watering should be six to twelve inches for turf and bedding plants and twelve inches for perennials, shrubs and trees. One inch of irrigation wets a sandy soil to a depth of about twelve inches.

Examine your irrigation system and repair leaks promptly. Make sure the water lands on your plants and grass and not on paved areas.

Make the most out of rainwater. Turn downspouts from rain gutters towards areas with plantings. Rainwater can also be collected and stored in a rain barrel for dry spells.

Avoid excessive fertilization. Don’t fertilize or, if you do, use a low nitrogen fertilizer. Fertilization stimulates growth and increases water needs.

Raise the cutting height of turf. Although taller grass uses slightly more water than shorter grass, a higher cutting height promotes deeper rooting and maintains turf quality longer.

Add mulch to beds to reduce evaporation from soil and to moderate soil temperature, reducing stress on roots. Final depth of mulch should be three to four inches after settling.

If possible, don’t use overhead sprinklers for shrub and flowerbeds. Hand water, flood irrigate or use trickle irrigation. Greater water loss can occur with overhead irrigation because of evaporation and wind drift.

Larry Williams
Extension Agent, Horticulture
May 9, 2007