Monsoon season is a favorite time of year for many Tucsonans, including the local plant life. As seasonal rainstorms arrive, however, there are some key features of your landscape that you should think about. Consider the following common landscaping mistakes so that you can schedule the maintenance you need to prepare for heavy rain, wind, and lightning this summer.
Overwatering Plants
You will likely need to do lots of watering over the summer in Tucson, but you should keep track of monsoon rainfall, so you know precisely when to water. It’s easy to overwater after a monsoon storm, so you might change your irrigation schedule and double check soil moisture before manual watering.
Mismanaging Stormwater Runoff
You don’t have to set up an elaborate wastewater collection system to effectively manage runoff during monsoon storms. In fact, the right landscape design will take advantage of sunken gardens and wells to divert rainwater from your home and avoid pooling in more sensitive areas. If you notice that water pools around your property during heavy rainfall, you may need some landscape renovations to facilitate better storm drainage in your yard.
Neglecting Tree Care
Do you have trees on your property? If so, you will want to hire a certified arborist to trim and prune trees before the next monsoon storm. In addition, you should keep trees well-watered. Dry trees can pose a greater risk of fire if lightning strikes.
Applying Herbicide and Pesticides
Before spraying any outdoor herbicides or pesticides, check the weather forecast. Ideally, any chemical agent should have a few days to dry and settle in so that rainwater doesn’t carry potentially harmful herbicide to areas where it’s not wanted, including down the storm drain and into the municipal water supply.
For the monsoon season care your yard needs, including tree care services from certified arborists specializing in native desert trees, contact Complete Landscaping. You can reach our Tucson landscape professionals at (520) 323-8918.