Landscape Tips for the Dog Days of Summer

A soft, yellowish-brown cast has blanketed the bulk of lawns--those without sprinkler systems--in the Chicago region. The 90-to-100-plus degree temperatures are to blame for that. 

The relentless rays of the sun make it that much more important to keep an eye for fragile annuals and vegetable gardens, according to Jennifer Gonzalez, owner of Emerald Bloom Landscaping on Gougar Road and U.S. Route 30.

In a telephone interview with , she offered advice on proper landscaping and maintenance. "The older plants," mature trees and shrubs, "are the plants that you need to worry about the least." The root system is well-established and hardy enough to sustain through drought conditions.

However, the vegetable gardens, annual flowers and plants need plenty of water. She recommends watering in the early hours so the plants can soak up the most moisture. Watering in the early morning hours is a good tactic to protect the plants, but then it drys out fast once the heat of the day hits.

Water conservation is definately something to keep in mind, added Gonzalez. The plants don't need overwatering; they just need "saturation."

If the lawn is new, it's good to water in the mid-afternoon, said Mike Darcy, manager of on U.S. Route 30. But water restrictions in the community have doused those plans.  

He suggested applying a layer of mulch to garden beds and around trees to hold the water. Colored stone is attractive, but it doesn't do much to protect the roots in this heat.

Despite the heat, her husband, Frank Gonzalez, noted that landscape plans that call fo fertiler treatments are safe even in the heat.

"Years ago fertilzer treatments on lawns that didn't get water" resulted in "burning" the grass. 

But the process has improved. Today's fertilizers are either granual or liquid. The fertilzer won't act unless it's mixed with water. So if a granular mix is spread in the dead heat, it's not a problem. It'll wait until it gets moisture. 

Darcy noted that fertilizers with a high nitrogen content should be avoided during extreme heat.

Frank Gonzalez added that today's fertilizer is typically safe. It won't harm the kids or the pets.  

"They can walk on it right away," he said.