This summer’s drought may have planted the seeds for a coming landscaping boom as homeowners look to revive wilted lawns and forlorn flowerbeds.
Although recent rains have brought back a wash of green to some area yards, North Texas remains in a state of exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and that has taken a toll on trees, shrubs and especially lawns.
Jason Hurt, live goods merchant for the southern division of Home Depot, said he and some of the company’s vendors recently toured some of the areas hardest hit by the drought, including Plano, Frisco, Little Elm and The Colony.
“Just kind of seeing what we thought the needs were going to be for the fall season as well as the spring season, I think there’s going to be a lot of demand,” he said.
In particular, Mr. Hurt said, he expects increased demand for trees and shrubs to replace those killed by the drought, and sod to replenish patchy lawns.
“We’re ready for a very, very large pickup in the fall and the spring,” he said. “We think a lot of people will wait until before it gets cold to plant the sod because they’ll fear that it won’t be able to get rooted prior to the cold weather hitting.
“And the spring, it’s a no-brainer. March 1st, it’s just going to go nuts.”
As of Thursday, North Texas needed 6 to 9 inches of rain to bring conditions back to “near normal” condition, according to the National Weather Service. In June, the North Texas Municipal Water District, which serves cities including Plano, Frisco and Mesquite, implemented Phase 3 water restrictions, limiting landscape watering to once a week. The city of Dallas currently has no water restrictions in place.
If done properly, it is possible to maintain a healthy yard watering only once a week, said James Hatcher, a master gardener for the Dallas County Extension Office. “People sometimes water frequently and shallow. We recommend you water a minimum of one inch … approximately once a week, but that varies,” he said.
Still, landscapers expect that many homeowners may need to replenish their lawns in the spring, or possibly even re-sod new lawns that didn’t have a chance to get established.
Philip Greenwood, a sales representative for A-1 Grass in Plano, said his company saw some new home developers put plans on hold during the summer because they weren’t able to put down sod to control erosion — a requirement under building codes.
Mr. Greenwood said A-1 should have no trouble meeting anticipated strong demand in the spring using supplies from its turf farms in Ennis and Royce City. A-1 keeps St. Augustine and a couple of varieties of Bermuda grass in stock, he said. Specialty grasses, such as Zoysiagrass and buffalograss, are also grown on the farms and can be cut to order.
In addition to staples like sod and shrubbery, landscaping experts foresee an increased interest in alternatives that don’t require as much water.
“There will be a large demand for sod, and I’m sure there will be a large demand for hardscapes,” such as stone or gravel, “and drought-tolerant grasses as people look to change what they have,” Mr. Greenwood said.
Home Depot’s Mr. Hurt said he’s also expecting increased demand for mulch as homeowners discover its impact on water retention. Mulch can reduce water demand by up to 40 percent, according to the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.
Tricia Quaid, owner of Tricia Quaid Landscape Design Inc. in Dallas, said she’s seen interest among homeowners in drought-tolerant plants, especially as more varieties have become available.
“We need to be able to start moving into native plants and not azaleas and camellias that use a lot of water,” she said.
Looking ahead, Ms. Quaid said she’s concerned that if the drought persists into next year, landscaping companies may be forced to limit their warranties, since new plantings require water to get established.
“We warranty everything — plants and trees — for one year, and if next year, we go into a situation where we still don’t get any rain … and if they cut us off waterwise, it could be a tough situation,” she said.