Ohio's a fun place to live, am I right? One week it snows, the next week temperatures hit the 90s with no rain. During these hot and dry weeks it's important to keep your lawn, trees and shrubs properly watered. Last week we discussed proper lawn care watering techniques and tips. Today, we'll examine the 4 ways you can keep your tree and shrubs hydrated WITH LESS water!

1. Get More Accomplished Underneath: You gotta go to the root of the matter (pun intended) when watering plants. Often consumers use above ground sprinklers to spray water in the air reaching their plants and the soil around it. The only problem with this is that almost 40% of the moisture is wasted. 
   
   Water runoff when watering plants can cause a large amount of wasted water. Plants can only take in so much water at a time, with the rest of the water actual repelling and running off. You can overcome this by using sub-surface irrigation. This type of irrigation uses a "drip" method to slowly expel water, allowing the plant to take a large majority of it in. 
   
   Additionally, traditional sprinkler systems that expose water to air and sunlight increases the amount of water evaporation. Using sub-surface drip irrigation over a traditional above ground sprinkler eliminates evaporation and allows a majority of the water to reach your roots.
   
   So remember, it's best to use a "drip" or subsurface irrigation system to water your trees and shrubs. (Learn how to install your own drip irrigation system by clicking here)
    
2. Focus on The Soil, Not The Plant: Consumers often make the mistake of watering the base of the plant, rather than the soil around it. Below the surface, the feeder roots of your plant aren't located directly below the base. They are instead beneath an area referred to as the "drip zone." The drip zone of your plant is located beneath the outer edge of your plants foliage. This area is the perfect spot to deliver water to your plants root system.
    
3. Stop Those Water Thieves: Get rid of that riff-raff stealing water from your plants! Weeds and other pesky invaders that are growing near your plants steal water from the soil leaving your plant high and dry. That's why it's so important to keep your landscape beds properly weeded. 
    
4. Ring Around The Rosey: We discussed how important it is to have a drip irrigation system that slowly delivers water to your plant's root system. Creating a "ring" around your plant with the drip system that has multiple emitters will help water your plant even more. Your root system stretches all the way around your plant, so it's important that you don't just water in one spot, but multiple spots. A ring with multiple emitters around your plant allows for water to be spread evenly to the entire root system. 

Need More Lawn Care & Landscape Watering Tips?

Weed Pro's got you covered this summer with our ultimate lawn care and landscaping watering guide. You'll find everything you need to know about watering your lawn and landscape in this great guide. It's your's absolutely free by clicking on the button below!

Shaun Kanary has been a part of the Green Industry for the past 15 years. As the Director of Marketing for Weed Pro Lawn Care, a Cleveland and Columbus Lawn Care Service Provider, Shaun is a regular contributor to the Weed Pro Blog, and other industry magazine and blogs.  Shaun on Google+     Shaun on LinkedIn     Shaun on Twitter