Can I save these bushes?

[Zyclone]

Hi everyone, I am fairly new to maintaining a green garden. These bushes were nice a full when we moved into the house, but with the rising heat this summer and the drought conditions in CA (San Diego area) these bushes got hit pretty hard.

I placed a soaker hose around the bases and water them either in the evenings or early morning (6-7am). They started to bloom a little tiny bit but it seems they are still struggling... whatever leaves are on it have a reddish tint, and not green like they should be. They are also located in the direct sun light for most of the day, and I get zero clouds around here.

Is there a way for me to save these guys? I'm not sure what else I can do. Water them more? (I really shouldn't.. since we are trying to conserve water). Place more mulch in the bottom? Cover them with a cloth to protect them from the sun?

 

[Corzhens]

I guess you need to put more soil on the root of the bushes. That's what we normally do here, We rake the ground to the direction of the bushes and get some top soil to cover the main stalk (I don't know if this is a correct term). Normally, the loose top soil is fertile so it is good for the health of the bushes. And more water, I guess.

 

[Becky]

Looks like you want to retain as much moisture in the soil as possible. Have you thought about putting stones on top of the soil? They will really help protect the soil from the heat of the sun.

 

[Beth_B]

Hmmm, not sure what type of bush that is; is it possible that daily watering (if that's what you're doing) is actually too much for them? Over-watering can also cause browning of leaves, root rot and general malaise. I am not familiar with gardening in drought conditions - wish I could send you guys some of our rain - but a general rule of thumb is infrequent, deep watering rather than frequent shallow watering. Deep watering encourages the roots to go, well, deep into the ground rather than near the surface.

I don't see how added mulch could hurt, especially with your arid conditions.

 

[marlingardener]

Those shrubs look like Red-tip Photinia, which turn red naturally. Please take a close-up photo of a branch with leaves, and post it on the Plant Identification forum. Someone will be able to give you a definite identification, instead of my "best guess."
If they are Red-tips, they are subject to a disease that affects the leaves. Here is a link to a site that explains much better than I can:http://homeguides.sfgate.com/common-diseases-photinia-shrub-48779.html