How to Keep Your Drought-Stricken Yard "Looking" Green

info@floridagardener.com — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:14:00 GMT

Dealing With Drought

Don't let the fact that your yard looks a desert dissuade you from enjoying it. Here are some tips to revive your lawn and garden -- or at least fool the neighbors and code enforcement into thinking you've kept your landscape thriving.

Soothing the Soil. To keep plants and grass from drying out too quickly, you can mix water-absorbent granules called cross linked Polyacrylamide polymer into the soil. When wet, the granules turn into a gel that absorbs many times its weight in water. A product known as Soil Moist^TM is available at your local garden centers for about $12 a pound. For best results Soil Moist^TM must be incorporated into the soil at the root level of the plant or turf. Do not top dress or place on the surface.

Shade Cloth. Sometimes blocking the sun can be all wilting plants need to perk up again. Shade cloth is a woven poly material that blocks out 50% of the sun's rays and is available in a pleasant shade of green. Draped directly over plants or held in place by hoops a piece 6 feet by 13 feet costs about $10 from your big box garden center.

Lawn Painting. Desperate lawns call for desperate measures! For totally burned-out yards lawn painting or dying what is left of your turf may be the answer. A product called Green Lawnger^® is an environmentally-friendly permanent green grass pigment. The liquid formula is easily applied with most types of sprayers and keeps turf looking fresh for 10-14 weeks or until you mow it away. By adjusting the mix of water to pigment you can control the color shade of your turf. One liter covers up to 3,000 sq. ft., depending on the type of grass and color of turf desired. A one liter costs about $20 and is available online from Gemplers.com.

FloridaGardener's Garden Blog

How to Keep Your Drought-Stricken Yard "Looking" Green