Avoid added plant stress

Don’t fertilize if you can’t water it in. Fertilizer does little good unless it dissolves and enters the soil solution.

Avoid any sort of soil disturbance that injures roots and reduces their moisture uptake.

Avoid adding fill dirt over plant roots because roots need to breathe.

Mow grass higher than normal to avoid stressing it.

Reduce Demand for Water

Cut back plants that wilt or show die back to reduce their need for water from the roots.

Many annuals and perennials can be cut back close to ground level during drought and will bounce back when rain begins.

Use other water sources

Collect the water that drips from your air conditioning unit.

Collect rainwater in rain barrels at the bottom of your roof downspouts.

Note: Water from kitchen sinks and dishwashers, bathtubs, showers and lavatories, and the household laundry are NOT allowed for reuse under plumbing and health codes.

Prioritize plants

High value/must save – give priority to valuable specimen trees or shrubs that would be difficult to replace.

Moderate value/try to save – perennials, newly planted trees, shrubs and groundcovers.

Low value/save if possible – annuals can be replaced and some turf grasses will bounce back successfully from a complete dry out.

Mulch

Cover the entire area under the plant from the trunk to the ends of the branches. This keeps the soil cool, combats weeds, conserves water and creates more visual appeal than trying to grow grass in the area.

Good mulches to use are pine straw, pine bark mini-nuggets, bark chips or shredded hardwood mulch. Avoid using rock, gravel or marble in sunny areas because they absorb and radiate heat and increase moisture loss.

Enhance your mulch, by placing two to three sheets of saturated newspaper underneath it. This will help the soil retain moisture.