SAN ANTONIO – We were spoiled in July, with lower temperatures and lots of good rain.
Everything got so lush outside, but now the triple digits are back with little rain in sight in the seven-day forecast.
We have about a month-and-a-half left of the intense heat, so this is how you are going to keep your plants alive through it.
Hand watering any time of day is allowed during SAWS’ stage three restrictions, which we are currently in. But to make your hand watering actually count, either water early in the morning before 10 a.m. or late at night after 7 p.m. Watering this way won’t allow the water to get dried up by the heat and you won’t burn the leaves of your plants.
First, examine your yard, as mine is in half shade and half full sun.
Because of the moisture our grounds got in July, the plants especially if established or native don’t need to be watered everyday.
Full sun plants water every two to three days. Those in the shade get watered once a week to maybe twice a week, if it’s been very hot. This was not the case last year. At this time last year, we had already experienced close to 50 days of triple-digit temperatures. This year, we have had less than twenty so far, as of this article.
When hand watering, water deeply pointing the nozzle at the roots for 20-30 seconds on each plant, until it forms a good puddle around it.
Also listen to your plants. For example some Peggy Martin Rose bushes are turning yellow and losing leaves because of the heat, so these need a good soak. So once a week let the hose run on the roots for two-five minutes to let the water get deep into the ground.
As for your non-native grasses, like your lawns of Bermuda or St. Augustine, no matter the amount of hand watering you do, with this heat it’s a losing battle.
They will most likely turn brown again until the temperatures cool off or we get some more rain. Check KSAT’s gardening section where to learn about native ground cover options that can survive heat and drought like frogfruit.