Living on dry land

Your lawn is brown and crunchy, your plants are wilting and the young trees you recently planted aren't looking too well.

Local drought conditions this year mean that those with a bit of green in their yard struggle to keep it that way without spending a lot of green in the process.

But landscaping experts say there are things you can do to help your yard survive without that huge water bill -- and more homeowners are asking for those water-saving measures.

"People are interested in saving water big time," said David Murphy, owner of Murphy Bros. Nursery/Landscape, in Florence.

"The big thing for the past few years has been low-maintenance, but now it's low-maintenance and drought-resistance."

All plants need water, and landscape plantings especially need water in the first year or two as they establish-themselves.

"After that, some plants need less water, most can do without water for a long time and others look really stressed," Murphy said.

Key for a water-saving landscape is humus, which is mature organic compost such as peat moss.

"Just dirt won't hold moisture," Murphy said. "Use the right soil and peat moss-combination and then add a good layer of mulch to conserve and hold in the water. That combination of humus and mulch is important."

Ged Grimmitt, with Total Landscape Inc. in Sheffield, agreed that mulch was vital in drought conditions.

"Mulching is a big help," he said. "A 3- to 4-inch layer is the most important thing to saving water. Soil conditions also play a big role, but you can't change that after you plant."

Other tricks to help your landscape use water efficiently is to put plants in the right location -- sunny or shady -- and to weed often.

"Weeds will rob your plants of much-needed moisture," Murphy said. "Also remember not to overfertilize your lawn when you get your lawn ready in February."

Charles Andrews, a regional agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said the type of grass in your lawn determines your watering decisions.

Warm-season turf grasses such as bermuda or zoysia go dormant under stress, so a lack of water won't cause as much damage. Cool-season turf grasses such as tall fescue need to be watered, he said.

The most efficient way to water is to do so only when the grass looks as if it needs it, Andrews added. One indication is "footprints" -- if a walk across your yard in the late afternoon leaves footprints, then it needs water.

Technology also is keeping pace with water needs, Murphy said, citing such innovations as irrigation water heads that produce bigger droplets so more water hits the ground and less evaporates in the air.

"It's been a weird summer," Murphy said, "with the late Easter freeze and then no rain for so long. It makes it hard on landscapers, and we've had to convince some people to delay their plantings until fall. Water is such a precious commodity. We take it for granted, but let me tell you, when you don't have, you sure realize how important it is."

Cathy Wood Myers can be reached at cathy.myers@timesdaily.com or 740-5733.