Tips on How to Maintain a Great Lawn During a Drought

According to a statement by National Weather Service in Tulsa, even with the recent rainfall in Tulsa, drought conditions still exist. In fact, severe drought still plagues much of the Tulsa area making it hard on lawns. How can you keep your lawn healthy without overwatering and deal with the drought? How can your Tulsa irrigation company help out?

Overall Lawn Care. We might start by mentioning, a good overall lawn care program will help to keep your grass healthy and better able to absorb water efficiently so having a regular Tulsa lawn care program with proper weed control and fertilization will help it be more resilient in the drought.

Deeper Watering.  In general, your lawn needs about an inch of water each week. Often this is best accomplished in two increments during the week. A deeper watering just a couple times a week will be better for the root system than shallow waterings throughout the week, depending on your type of grass. You can measure the amount of water with a rain gauge.

Selecting the Right Time to Water. The best time to water your lawn is in the early morning.  Irrigating before the heat of the day sets in will prevent the water from evaporating too rapidly. Watering at night may cause the reverse effect…water may not be absorbed quickly enough, causing the standing water to be a fertile ground for weeds, diseases, fungus, and pests to take over.

Mowing Correctly. When mowing, try to cut no more than one third of the grass’ height. Mowing too short can put significant stress on the turf. Leaving the grass at a higher level will help the grass stay strong, protecting the roots from drying out. Also you can leave the grass clippings on the lawn to also help the turf retain moisture, conserving water.
 
Smart Sprinklers. Tulsa irrigation company Oklahoma Landscape also offers smart irrigation controllers that can automatically adjust to your lawn’s irrigation needs. These smart controllers can reduce your lawn’s water consumption by a third or more.

Oklahoma Landscape can also prevent overwatering and help conserve water by conducting a thorough audit of your Tulsa sprinkler system to correct any issues such as nozzle problems, poor head spacing, and upgrade controllers. This can help you to save water and have a healthier lawn overall during drought conditions.

Water Feature Ideas for Soothing Tulsa Outdoor Living

Don't you just love the calming sounds of water flowing through your garden? It's always a soothing feature of an outdoor living space in Tulsa. Many people are opting to build stunning and sometimes distinctive water features in their outdoor environments. Not only adding a relaxing character to the outdoor living area, water features also can become the focal point of the space and can entice colorful birds that help to invigorate the space even more. 

Especially if your Tulsa landscape has a slope or changes in its topography, a flowing stream and waterfall are perfect embellishments to your garden. Line the stream with vibrant native plants to provide more eye-catching interest, and you can create a beautiful path through your outdoor living space. As Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) noted, “Run your stream over different materials and at varying depths to create a variety of delightful gurgles.”

Water features and gardens with an Asian theme are becoming more prevalent as homeowners want a more tranquil tone in their outdoor space. Whether simply for pondering by the water or a space for entertaining, Asian-style water gardens offer an exclusive, Zen-like atmosphere. Using bamboo, arbors, wooden teahouses and bridges, and reflecting pools, you can bring your Japanese garden to life.

Adding Tulsa hardscapes around your water feature can really enrich your outdoor living experience. Building a pergola and seating area can help afford a place to relax and contemplate life while watching your water garden, which may be teaming with fish or surrounded by birds that flock to the colorful foliage nearby the water feature. An artful bridge offers an additional focal point across a stream or pond. A deck adjacent to a pond or other water feature provides a great place to unwind or entertain. Using various pavers and hardscapes in a variety of textures and shapes can create more appeal and charm in your water garden.

If you would like to start small, BHG recommended placing a water feature in a planting bed or even using a bowl filled with a miniature water lily to serve as an outdoor dining centerpiece.

Whether you would like a more formal water garden or something with a more relaxed, even country feel, the Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape can create the perfect outdoor living area for your lifestyle and home.