Water Management is one of the more crucial aspects of a proper land asset management strategy. The truth is, for the North Carolina Piedmont and Upstate South Carolina, our climate is temperate enough that most trees and shrubs don’t need significant watering beyond what nature provide. (Grass is a different story, but for now let’s talk primarily about trees and shrubs.

Except in periods of extreme drought, once fully established most trees and plants in this area are hardy enough to survive, and thrive on our typical annual rainfall. In fact, improper watering can be extremely harmful to the investment you’ve made in beautifying your property:

• During the first 2 years after planting, it’s important to water your plants regularly, but it’s better to water more deeply and less frequently. Proper watering promotes good, deep root growth.
• Heavy, clay-based soil holds water for longer periods of time than sandy soils. Water slowly to reduce runoff and minimize evaporation.
• Overwatering promotes disease: Too much water in the ground reduces the  levels of oxygen in the soil, which can lead to root damage, dramatically reducing the natural life cycle of your trees and shrubs. The resulting wilting that occurs looks very similar to signs of drought.
• Overwatering is expensive: Gone are the days where water is plentiful and inexpensive. Improper irrigation wastes water and damages your plantings. Drip irrigation may save you up to 70% off your water bill, compared with traditional pop-up sprinklers, when used correctly.

Let Environmental Design Landscape provide you with a comprehensive landscape plan, including irrigation. We focus on creating plans that maximize your asset value, while minimizing ongoing maintenance costs – maximizing the life cycle of your decorative landscape investment..