Part of what makes any landscape more beautiful are flowers. Unfortunately, many flower varieties are too fragile to withstand the kind of drought conditions that are currently a fact of life here in Austin and across much of the United States. But it’s still possible to add color to your landscape, especially if you choose low-water use annuals and perennials.
Here are some tips you can use to keep your blooms happy and healthy, even these water-tight times.
1. Prepare the soil properly
Loosen soil to a depth of 12 inches. Central Texas soil has a high concentration of clay, so adding three inches of compost on the surface and tilling it to a 12-inch depth is advisable.
2. Select your flowers with care
Look for annuals or perennials with gray or silver foliage as they are the most drought-tolerant.
3. Mulch, mulch, mulch
Apply one to two inches of mulch between flowers to avoid evaporation and control the growth of water-stealing weeds. With perennials, this can be permanent mulch like wood chips. With annual flowers, use dried grass clippings.
4. Irrigate twice a week
Water your flowers in the evening after 7 or 8PM or early in the morning between 5 and 9 AM to minimize evaporation. If you only allowed to run your irrigation system once a week, alternate between using soaker hoses or drip emitters one day and hand-watering when it’s time to irrigate again.
You can irrigate annuals and perennials twice a week if you’ve mulched your plants and water them deeply at each application. Be aware that some flowers will bloom less when you give them less water.
At South Austin Irrigation Repair, we know that working with water restrictions can be a challenge. But we also believe that it’s still possible to have and maintain a beautiful landscape despite current drought conditions. When you need irrigation system repairs, service or advice, we have the solutions for you!
