UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- During a drought, water becomes a precious commodity. According to a gardening expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, smart watering practices can both save water and ensure the survival of your garden.

"Plants differ in their water needs during droughts," says Bob Nuss, professor of ornamental horticulture. "How you water, and which plants you decide to water, can make a huge difference in the garden's appearance and in water usage."

Lawns

Turfgrass uses prodigious amounts of water, says Peter Landschoot, associate professor of turfgrass science. During drought, lawns should be watered regularly -- every two or three days -- or not at all. "Older, well-established lawns survive drought by going dormant," Landschoot says. "Occasional watering causes turfgrass to repeatedly enter and break out of a dormant state, which weakens the plants."

If homeowners choose to water lawns, early morning is the best time to do so. Evening watering leaves turfgrass damp most of the night, making the plants susceptible to fungal diseases.

Shrubs

Nuss recommends that shrubs not be watered by using sprinklers. "Wetting the leaves and stems increases humidity only for a few minutes," Nuss says.

Wetting foliage also can cause temperature shock and encourages some types of disease infection.

Nuss says shrubs should be watered by applying water at the plant base and under the spread of its branches until soil is moistened to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. The entire shrub bed should be watered to provide a moist root environment for optimum growth.

"Heavy infrequent watering can promote deep root development," Nuss says. "Stop watering as soon as any runoff appears."

Trees

Lawn sprinklers should not be used to water trees, either. Nuss says small trees should be watered by letting a hose run at the base of the tree until the ground is saturated.

Large trees can be watered by allowing the hose to run at various points around the tree's drip line -- the imaginary line outlining the extension of the tree's branches.

During drought, large trees require watering every three to four weeks.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Bob Nuss at 814-863-2196. To contact Pete Landschoot, call 814-863-1017.

Contacts: John Wall jtw3@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-865-1068 fax