Drought Got You Ripping Out the Lawn? Remember the Trees!

SAN DIEGO - May 18, 2015 - PRLog -- As the California drought intensifies and spring turns into summer, expect more and more homeowners and businesses to remove turf grass and sprinklers from their landscapes.  Governor Brown has ordered California to reduce water consumption by 25%.  Since approximately 50% of water consumption goes toward the outside landscape, water purveyors such as the Metropolitan Water District and many other municipalities have targetted landscape irrigation as a means to reduce water use.

By now, everyone has heard how turf grass consumes the greatest amount of water compared to most trees, shrubs and ground covers.  Coupled with increased tiered water rates and fines for excessive water use, the frenzy to remove grass and replace it with drought tolerant plant material and drip irrigation has dramatically increased and will continue to do so into the summer.

A casualty in the turf and sprinkler removal process are trees!  Easy to forget about trees because they typically get there water from turf and shrub areas.  Rarely are trees separately irrigated in the landscape as most trees are in turf or planter beds. But when turf and sprinklers are removed, trees are often forgotten or expected to majically survive without water.

Trees located adjacent to landscape area under irrigation are most suseptible to decline when sprinklers are shut down or removed.  Because tree roots grow horizontally within the top 24 inches of the soil, they frequently root well outside of the tree crown.  Trees adjacent to irrigated turf will certainly root into the turf area, when sprinklers are turned off and turf removed, the tree will inevitably decline.

If you are a property owner considering turf and sprinkler removal and concerned about how that will affect your existing trees, click the link to read this informative blog by certified arborist and registered consulting arborist Jeremy Rappoport.

http://landscapeexpertwitness.com/2015/05/18/removing-tur...