Seven steps to creating a waterwise landscape

With more than 50 percent of household water being used in the yard and garden, it is time to adjust our gardening practices.

Waterwise gardening, also called xeriscaping, is not just rocks, but a very feasible way to create a beautiful, low-maintenance landscape while using less water than more traditional landscapes.

Follow these seven points and you will be well on your way.

• Plan and design for water conservation.

Think about the way you use your landscape. Where do you spend most of your time? Where do you park the car and go into the house? Where do the children play? Where do you grow vegetables?

Answer these questions and make a diagram of the existing features of your property and the way you intend to use the areas in the future.

The areas where you spend less time should get less water than where you spend the most time. Select plants for your landscape that is well-adapted to our climate.

• Improve the soil.

The typical soils of our area are variable, but almost all can benefit from the addition of organic matter. Organic matter is any material that was originally from a living source that is well-decomposed.

Be careful of materials which are nutrient rich – they should be used more like fertilizers.

Organic matter will encourage plant roots to go deeper, improving their drought resistance. It will help to retain more of that crucial amount of water that is available to the plant

• Create practical turf areas.

Lawns have many benefits - erosion is almost eliminated, they keep soil temperatures cool, add organic matter to soil, provide a soft play area and a beautiful back drop for the colors of the landscape.

Think about your turf area. Does it go from sidewalk to sidewalk? Is it grown right up to the foundation of your house? Are there areas in which the turf seems to be hard to water or mow?

Consider replacing the turf in hard to maintain areas with other plantings, such as drought-tolerant shrubs or groundcovers.

Soften the edges of the turf area by surrounding these plantings with mulches to conserve water. Replace turf under trees with bark or drought-resistant groundcover.

Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis, can be irrigated less than normal and survive very well. It’s extensive though shallow root-system is very tolerant of drought conditions, including surviving a hot, dry summer with absolutely no water.

• Water efficiently.

This is where many homeowners have trouble. The best way to do this is to learn to look at your landscape, and water only when turf shows signs of drought stress. There is always that one spot that seems to dry out before other areas of the lawn. Keep an eye on it and water when it starts to show.

Change irrigation times and amounts as the weather changes. Look at the sprinklers and see if they are applying water all the way to the next sprinkler, if they are tilted or if they are leaking.

• Select plants and group them according to their watering needs.

Make sure the plants you select are hardy to USDA Hardiness zones appropriate for our area – USDA Zones 3 and 4.

Next, know the water requirements of these plants, and make sure all plants in an area of your landscape have the same water requirement. If, for example you have sedum, California poppy and kinnickinnick with a Colorado blue spruce in the middle you are defeating the purpose, as blue spruce requires as much water as Kentucky bluegrass.

• Mulch.

Mulching reduces evaporation by 25-50 percent, promotes soil microorganism activity, stabilizes soil moisture, prevents soil compaction, controls weeds, moderates soil temperatures, controls erosion, and gives a finished look to the landscape.

Use organic mulches if possible, as they will keep the landscape cooler and result in less water use by plants than the hotter rock mulches. Apply these mulches to a maximum depth of 4 inches, less on heavy clay soils.

• Maintenance.

Sharpen your mower blade, mow your turf at 3 inches, and avoid heavy fertilization in the spring. Prune your flowering trees after they flower, and prune conifers in late fall or winter. Amend the soil as you replace or retrofit your landscape.

Mike Bauer is the horticulturist for Moose Valley Farms, a full-service garden center located in Naples at mile marker 495. Feel free to call them at 267-5108 or stop in if you have any questions.