As the cost and availability of water is a hot topic in adjacent states, there is no doubt that at some point Arizona will be in the same boat. Many cities and communities are being pressured to reduce water consumption, with the #1 consumer being the landscape. Here are a few tips on how you can better manage water in your landscape:

As you drive through Phoenix and Tucson metro areas, you might have noticed the browning of needles of older pine trees this winter. It has been determined by local plant experts that this browning of pines is due to drought. Arizona is now entering its 21st year of long-term drought. Coupled with the abnormally warm winter (and past summer,) makes it challenging for some trees such as the Aleppo pine to adapt to these challenges in the urban environment. Below are a few tips to help your trees battle the warm and dry conditions our region is currently facing:

Since we are deep in the Arizona winter (is it really forecasted for 90+ degrees next week?) many landscape companies have already begun hard cutbacks, also known as Renovation Pruning. This type of pruning is usually performed in the winter and early spring to rejuvenate shrubs and groundcovers to encourage growth after the dormant period. It can also help manage plants that have outgrown the space, are encroaching over sidewalks, or are obstructing lines of sight. Here are a few additional benefits to help better understand why renovation pruning is taking place in your neighborhood:

A new year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. Have you established your resolution? Most of us set resolutions for personal care, like beginning an exercise program, eating cleaner, or even saving money (especially after a pricey holiday season). But you can apply these goals to your landscape or property as well. This is a great time of year to start fresh with plant growth and plant health care programs and even improve water conservation measures for your property. Here are few ideas to help get the ball rolling on maintaining a beautiful and efficient landscape:

Will winter ever arrive? Someone needs to remind Mother Nature that the Desert Southwest wants to experience cooler temperatures at some point. With all our warm fall, plants that normally go dormant have continued to grow, putting some frost-sensitive plants at risk of freezing back when our winter finally does arrive. A plant’s ‘hardiness’ is its cold temperature threshold: the more ‘hardy’ the plant is, the more tolerant it is to cold temperatures. Here are some frost facts to know when preparing your landscape for the (possibly) cold Arizona winters: