It is official. July was one of the driest months in Kansas history.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has issued a drought warning for 53 counties and put the remaining 52 counties in a drought watch. With little rain and none really predicted for the near future, now is the time to start managing the home landscape with less water.

Here are a few tips to help your ornamental trees and shrubs handle these record low water levels:

Water conservation begins with turning off the water faucet and automatic irrigation system. The result will be cool season turf that goes dormant. Some may find this ugly and unsightly, while others may be concerned that it will kill the grass. Do not worry. Cool season grasses have evolved to take a rest in the heat of summer. The grass slows its metabolism to conserve energy and use less water. Short periods of dormancy do not harm these grasses.

Normally, a healthy lawn can stay dormant for 5 to 8 weeks without harm. After this, it is important to keep the crown hydrated because if the crown dies, the plant dies. About one-quarter inch of water every two weeks is enough to hydrate the crown without pulling the plant out of dormancy. Avoid pulling plants in and out of dormancy because this can severely weaken the plant, making it more likely to die.

The infrequent, light watering that keeps lawns alive will not do much for landscape trees. Newly planted trees need at least 10 gallons of water per week, and on sandy soils they will need that much applied twice a week. It is important to get the water to soak deeply into the soil. One way to do this is to punch a small hole in the side of a 5-gallon bucket, and fill it with water. Let the water dribble slowly out next to the tree. Refill the bucket once, and you have applied 10 gallons. Larger trees will require more water and should be watered for three years after transplanting. A perforated soaker hose is a great way to water a larger area under the drip line of the tree.

Trees vary greatly in drought tolerance. Native trees such as hackberry, green ash, cottonwood, oak and walnut can all go into summer dormancy. The leaves will turn yellow or brown and fall off. For the most part, these trees are not dying, but are simply shedding leaves for which they can no longer provide water. If most of the leaves are shed, then the tree has entered summer dormancy, and will not leaf out again until next spring.

Contrast this with blue spruce. Because of a shallow root system and dense foliage, it is one of the least drought-tolerant trees planted in Kansas. Even mature spruces need extra water to survive most Kansas summers. Some studies have shown that wetting the foliage in the evening, in addition to watering, allows it to recover from the daily moisture deficit.

Last but not least — mulch. A 3- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch goes a long way to conserving valuable soil moisture. By placing a protective coating around trees, shrubs, and other plants, the sun does not warm the ground causing moisture to evaporate.