Easy Landscaping

Sloped and hillside lawns and landscapes tend to develop drydead spots during the hot part of the season. This is primarilydue to water run off before it has a chance to saturate into thesoil. Deep saturation is a key to a healthy lawns and plants.Deep watering helps establish deeper roots that can handleSummer heat stress.

Water that runs off or just barely breaks the surface, obviouslydoes the lawn or landscape very little good. So how do you givelandscaping and lawn on a slope better saturation?

Split your water cycle duration into two or three short cycles.If your water cycle is 30 minutes, you might split the cycleinto three 10 minute cycles. So on watering days, you'll run thesystem for the specified amount of time, let it soak for a fewhours, then repeat this for the number of times needed.

To determine the exact amount of time needed, turn on the lawnsprinkler and watch for how long it takes for runoff to begin.This is the maximum of how long each cycle should be.

Don't just split your cycles into different days. You need deepsaturation for healthier plants. Plants and lawns likeinfrequent deep waterings much more than frequent shallowwaterings.

Landscaping and specimen plants on a hillside will also benefitfrom better saturation. Plants should be planted in larger holesfilled with good soil that absorbs water easily. Also, dams andwater wells should be built on the downhill side of the plant.This will help give the water time to soak straight down to theroot zone before it runs off.

About the author:Submitted by The Landscape Design Site which offers freeprofessional landscaping advice, tips, plans, and ideas to do ityourselfers and homeowners. For more about landscape design and landscaping, visit his site at www.the-landscape-design-site.com

Steve Boulden, Tue Jan 10th