Landscaping in the Summer

As a landscaping company in north Dallas, we are tied to our environment and weather conditions. Over the years, we have come to expect a busy spring and fall season with slower summer and winters. However, there is no reason to shy away from landscaping year round in north Texas. Customers ask us all the time whether it would be wiser to wait until the fall rather than having their landscaping work done over the summer. There is absolutely no reason to hesitate to landscape during the summer. However, you will need to adjust your expectations and be knowledgeable about how to care for your landscaping during the summer months.

So what can you expect of your plants during the summer months here in North Texas? First and foremost, your plants will be thirsty! The warmer temperatures during the summer season will quickly evaporate available water supplies. You can prepare for this by increasing the amount of water your plants receive. We recommend that you have mulch installed in your garden beds to prevent the sun from leaching their water supply. In addition, garden bed plants will be able to keep even more of their water if you install a drip line irrigation system. Drip lines are installed under the mulch and provide a slow, steady supply of water to your plants. Drip line irrigation zones should be run for a longer period of time than sprinkler heads as it takes longer to get the same amount of water to the plants. The good news is that drip line zones are not included in city watering regulations, so you can run them every day. Watering is the primary concern when planting in the summer, so as long as you are prepared to give your plants the water they need, don’t hesitate.

Keep in mind, however, many of your plants will not be performing at peak levels during the summer months. With the exception of a few plants which are made for the summer heat (such as Crape Myrtle trees and warm season annuals), most plants will be working hard to stay nourished. Don’t expect blooming or growth spurts during the summer months. Most plants are surviving as opposed to thriving.

The summer months are when our warm-season grasses (Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia) are showing their best and growing like crazy. The summer is a great time to have sod installed…just remember to water it every day for the first couple of weeks. After September, we wouldn’t recommend installing these warm season grasses until next spring. You want to give the grasses time to take root before they go dormant during the colder months.

Finally, if your landscaping plans include any hardscaping work, summer is the perfect time. You can have the work done while you still have time to enjoy it before the colder weather arrives. Consider adding on to your backyard living space by installing a paver patio, arranging a flagstone patio in the grass or creating a stone border for your garden beds. Perhaps you have areas in your side yard where grass doesn’t grow at all…consider installing rock!