An unseasonably warm spring, after a record-breaking warm winter, is already straining plants and trees across the Front Range. Many trees budded out early, and bulbs — like daffodils and tulips — are blossoming early across Denver.
Due to the lack of snowpack, experts and local water managers are already preparing for a deep drought this summer. That not only raises concerns for municipal water and agriculture, but will impact residential yards as well.
“There is a chance that we're going to see severe drought stress and plant death this year,” said Chris Hilgert, horticulture state specialist at Colorado State University Extension. “Not just trees and shrubs, but potentially lawns and perennial crops like strawberries and raspberries and grapes and fruit trees.”
The thing that plants and trees need most right now? Water. But across the state, water restrictions are already being put into place, or soon will be. You might not be able to keep your yard alive simply by watering. “It might limit your ability to grow a garden this year,” Hilgert said. “It certainly puts your landscape plants’ health at risk.”
Here are five things you can do to help your plants survive this summer:
Mulch it
Mulch will help your soil retain moisture and help your plants survive. Use organic mulches — like wood chips, chunk bark, shredded bark, pine needles, lawn clippings and straw — or use non-organic mulches, such as rock, cobblestone, pea gravel, lava rock — in smaller areas. The latter absorb and radiate heat, so CSU Extension does not recommend it be used for large areas.
Compost
Adding compost to your soil will help the soil hold more water and be more productive. Clay soils, like much of what exists in Colorado, absorb water very slowly, and sandy and rocky soils lose it too quickly. Amending your soil with compost, peat moss or aged manure will help your plants thrive.
Change your grass
The most common lawn grass in Colorado is Kentucky bluegrass, which is a non-native plant that requires a lot of water to survive. Consider seeding your lawn with water-conserving types of grass, such as buffalo or blue grama. (Denver is even offering funding for residents to replace bluegrass.)
While drought-resistant landscaping is an increasingly popular choice in the drought-stricken West, changing your entire yard this year is a bad idea, according to Hilgert. “If you rip out your lawn and plant a bunch of drought-tolerant plants, they might not survive just because they'll need some supplemental water, especially in the first year,” he said.
Even drought-resistant plants need a lot of water to get established, so if you didn’t change your entire landscaping plan last year, wait until next year, when we have more water.
However, “You could start the process,” Hilgert said. “By saying, ‘OK, I'm going to reduce the size of my yard this year, so I'm going to slowly kill it back or dig it out or somehow reduce the size of my lawn this spring and summer, and then maybe I'll start planting it this fall when temperatures cool off.’”
Reduce the size of your lawn
While Hilgert doesn’t recommend re-landscaping your yard, you could reduce the size of your yard. Mulched areas, decks and paths are good alternatives to grass.
Use efficient irrigation
If you do water, do it right. Make sure sprinklers are focused on plants, not pouring wasted water onto sidewalks or driveways. Check the lines for leaks. Follow local watering restrictions, if applicable. But, “if there's just a blanket, no outdoor watering (order), I mean there's unfortunately not a lot you can do,” Hilgert said.
