Did you know there are proven strategies to prevent commercial landscape damage from summer heat stress and drought? So, if you’re curious about how to keep your property looking its best through the stifling summer heat, we’re going to break down what you can do in this article.
Commercial landscapes can be made more capable of withstanding hot, dry weather. Landscape resilience is a great goal for property owners as it helps prevent plant, turf, and tree loss. Durable landscape elements mean they’re healthier through the tough summer weather, and healthy plants are always the most attractive.
And we know that there are regional nuances to tackle when discussing drought and heat stress. So, we’ll cover some of those details using Yellowstone Landscape’s nearly two decades of experience maintaining landscapes across the nation with all its various climate challenges.
We’re also going to break down the following topics:
Let’s begin with an overview and some surprising facts that can cost property owners thousands of dollars.
Heat stress is what happens to plants when they go through long periods without enough water. This condition slows plants' development and hurts their overall health. What shocks many property owners is how heat stress can strike even when enough water is available—because extreme heat robs not just the plant, but also the soil of moisture too quickly.
How does heat stress damage plants?
As mentioned, it’s not always a lack of water that’s the problem. Contributing factors could also be humidity levels and wind, unhealthy soil compaction, areas with harsh sun exposure, and finally, the plant types and ages can all make your landscape more susceptible to heat and drought stress.
Common signs of summer heat stress on plants are wilting and drooping leaves. Yellowing of grass and thinning tree canopies are additional indicators.
Watch for the following plant-specific signs as well:
But these aren’t the only ways to identify an overheated landscape. Look for dry or cracked soil. You might even see soil “drawing back” from hardscape edges as the soil compacts. A simple moisture test can be done with a six-inch screwdriver. Push it into the soil, remove it, and ideally, the soil should stick to the screwdriver when it’s withdrawn, but not be soggy.
Crumbly soil means it is too dry.
The more precise alternative is a soil moisture meter. Your landscaping provider should be trained in its use and check multiple sections of the landscape to ensure a thorough moisture test.
Are there other signs of damaging heat stress? You bet there are. Watch for the following growth problem indicators:
The rarely talked about extended issue with severely stressed plants, trees, and turf is that their growth can be negatively impacted the next season. Even worse, drought areas are spreading.
Sadly, droughts are becoming more common even in areas that haven’t traditionally suffered arid conditions. The U.S. government reports that 36.99% of the lower 48 states are currently experiencing drought conditions (as of this writing).
More disturbing trends are below:
Did you know the U.S. endured about 27 individual weather and climate disasters last year, costing roughly one billion dollars? According to the NOAA, there have been 403 such disasters since 1980, totaling nearly three trillion dollars.
Now, you probably want to see regional data to help you further prepare for harsh summer weather, right? Let’s have a look.
The more troubling news for commercial property owners? Adding more water to plants is not a cure-all for severe heat. Irrigation is a rainfall supplement, not a replacement. Other environmental factors have to be considered and managed. Inefficient and improper watering techniques can make valuable plants and trees even more susceptible to heat stress. The same is true for poor soil quality.
So let’s talk about proper watering.
While irrigation is needed for vibrant, healthy landscape, it’s not designed to replace natural rainfall. Lack of rain is usually exacerbated by rising temperatures. So, it’s sometimes impossible to irrigate your way out of the problem.
The best defense is utilizing comprehensive landscape care that is proven to create healthy trees, shrubbery, turf, and flowers. Comprehensive maintenance is Yellowstone Landscape’s approach. For nearly two decades, it’s helped us combat drought conditions, and provide world-class outdoor spaces for our customers.
Our regional experience from coast to coast has assisted us with added knowledge of changing weather patterns across various terrains, ecosystems, and property types.
Smart irrigation technologies play a role in fending off heat stress too. These systems not only conserve precious water, they also provide optimal moisture for landscaping at just the right times. Smart irrigation also reduces labor and downtime.
Timing is everything when fighting against heat stress. Early morning watering schedules are best for commercial landscapes. It avoids evaporation that would come with mid-day heat and calmer morning winds won’t evaporate moisture or blow sprinkler water off course.
What about watering frequency? It matters greatly and so does duration. Your landscape maintenance provider should be using slow infrequent watering (daily watering is not ideal for established plants). Slow watering helps ensure water reaches plant roots—where moisture is most effective. This also creates strong roots which improve the odds of plants being healthy and living longer without constant care.
There are a few big mistakes that are common with watering. Let’s have a look at them below.
Now, let’s dispel some other costly misconceptions.
What’s one key misconception we hear over and over? That brown means dead. The truth is brown plants are not always dead or dying. They can recover. Browning can indicate they’ve gone dormant due to extremely high and consistent temperatures.
If you’re dealing with inexperienced landscapers, you run the risk of them replacing these plants unnecessarily which is a needless expense for property owners.
Experienced landscaping professionals with proper certifications should never make that mistake. Instead, we do proper inspections to be 100% certain plants are dead before replacing them. There are nuanced indicators that reveal whether a plant has just gone dormant or it’s died.
Adding too much water during drought can have the same negative impact as in non-drought times. Overwatering robs plants of another life-giving element—oxygen. Extra water can “drown” plant roots, making them unable to absorb oxygen.
Overwatering with poor techniques at a surface level is even worse. It wastes water, doesn’t feed root systems, and promotes shallow root growth, which is deadly to plants.
Finally, there’s the misconception that taking action is always the thing to do during droughts. Grass, flowers, shrubs, and trees have natural defenses against dry conditions and high heat. Often, it’s best to let these systems do what Mother Nature intended.
Taking extra steps, such as daily watering and soaking the leaves to cool them off are well-intentioned, but incredibly harmful. A patient, observant approach is the best way to help landscape elements bounce back from heat stress.
We strongly encourage working with your landscape professionals to develop a drought-resistance plan tailored for your property’s unique landscape conditions.
The steps for these custom plans can be quite simple:
Furthermore, proven environmentally-friendly practices help battle heat stress. Sustainable practices are inherently better suited for long-term landscape health through built-in efficiency. Native plants are not as water-thirsty as non-natives, for instance. Natives don’t require constant care to thrive and they’re often resistant to local pests and diseases, too.
A key benefit to having a provider with diverse regional experience is their expertise in plant selection. Yellowstone Landscape’s horticulturists guide our clients on the following:
Combine expert plant selection with integrated pest management and you’re protecting the planet and people from overusing control chemicals. Soil quality and good mulching practices are other important pieces of the plan to protect your plants from extreme heat and drought. Better soil produces healthier, more attractive plants. Keeping mulch levels at two to three inches reduces weeds while ensuring moisture is available for root systems. These are simple but vital steps for building a drought-resistant landscape that can endure extreme heat (and other harsh weather).
Now we’ll take a quick look at specific effects of summer heat stress.
Turf: Lawns use early dormancy to survive extreme heat and drought. Amended soil, deep watering, and proper mowing height help ensure turf survival.
Trees and Shrubs: Since these elements are more valuable property investments, they need special attention. Young trees must get deep watering for the first couple of years after installation. Avoid tree or shrub pruning during heat waves unless removing dead or diseased branches.
Flowering Plants and Perennials: Watch for scorched leaves or petals. Organic mulch generally keeps the soil cooler (certain wood mulches even ward off pests). Consider hardy species like coneflowers and salvias if you’ve experienced losses with more fragile flowers.
Next up? It’s not just what is affected by summer heat, it’s who.
People need protection from hazardous summer heat, now more than ever. Global temperatures are rising, while most Americans have become accustomed to comfortable climate controlled indoor environments. The following are good solutions to keep your residents, employees, and guests safe from extreme heat.
Plant more shade trees and add shade structures—permanent and temporary options exist. Make already shaded areas more obvious and inviting. A great amenity to combine with shaded spots? Hydration stations. Proper hydration enables people to enjoy green spaces more, plus, it can save lives.
Take it from us, working outdoors in July and August can be tough. So, be sure your staff and service providers use smart safety protocols, such as:
Is there more you can do for your landscaping to manage drought and extreme heat in the long run? Absolutely.
Xeriscaping is a smart trend that keeps on growing in popularity. These landscape principles utilize natural ways to conserve water and reduce fertilizer use, while lowering costs of labor with low-care plantings. Even the mulch is low-maintenance, using decorative rock that lasts longer than traditional wood mulch.
To maximize your savings with xeriscaping, choose a provider with multiple years of experience in the many strategies available.
Besides xeriscaping, simple techniques like proper plant grouping will save property owners money each and every year. Plants will thrive and live longer with proper moisture. Plus, precise water volume lowers utility costs and eliminates overuse of irrigation, reducing system wear and tear.
Less turf means less mowing. That’s perfect for some properties, depending on your goals. Less turf to mow can mean less disturbance for your residents and visitors, as fewer mower and blowers will be cranking up.
Traditional turf space can be converted to the following:
Lastly, large-scale rainwater harvesting isn’t possible on most commercial properties. However, even finding small ways to utilize rainwater is a step in the right direction. After all, a big part of sustainability is using resources already available. For example, a community HOA garden could utilize rain barrels for some of its watering needs.
In our experience, there are four key things that cause property owners frustration with the increasingly harsh summer heat.
That’s where Yellowstone Landscape customers have found relief, though. We have a knowledge base through our 70-plus nationwide branches to inform evolving landscaping strategies. Teams understand the effects microclimates have on different property types and sections of single properties.
Our tailored approach ensures we’re able to adapt to our clients' needs as well as the changing weather patterns. And as for sustainability, we’ve been a forerunner with eco-friendly landscaping. Many of our customers have even achieved the highest accolades for sustainability, including LEED Awards.
If you’ve been frustrated by the challenges of summer heat stress and drought on your landscape, contact Yellowstone Landscape for a property assessment. We’ll work with you to create a tailored plan that’s sustainable, budget-friendly, and enhances curb appeal.
Key takeaways to remember:
Heat stress and drought have always been a problem for commercial property owners. Yet, today’s challenges are more widespread and the intensity is growing. That means it’ll take heightened vigilance to keep your commercial green spaces healthy, thriving, and visually appealing.
But there is a recipe for success in the face of any climate challenges. Solid communication between commercial property owners/managers and their landscaping companies. Both parties have the combined power to enhance outdoor areas with innovative solutions that promote resilience, bolster curb appeal, and benefit the environment.