Water Wise Gardening Notes

Most of this information came from www.slowtheflow.org

Make sure to contact Blue Stakes before you do any digging to avoid hitting utility lines. It's a free service.
www.bluestakes.org

Definitions:

Xeric: of pertaining to, or adapted to a dry environment (www.dictionary.com)

Xeric landscapes can be very beautiful. Rocks and mulches can be used, but are not the only things there. Cactus and succulents are also water wise, but are not the only options.

Water Wise: plants and landscapes that use less water and are adapted for dry conditions

Why Xeriscaping?

We live in the second driest state in the US. We need to conserve water so that there is enough for essential needs.
Water is a limited resource.
Resources cannot sustain the expected growth.

Water conservation:

More water is used outside of the home than inside. A large amount of that is wasted in runoff. If a water wise landscape is installed, much of that water can be conserved.

www.conservewater.utah.gov

Irrigation Changes:

Make sure all sprinkler head are functioning and spraying only the desired area. Make any needed changes.

Make sure sprinklers are not overlapping or covering less than you want them to.

“Cycle & Soak”–if you water for 3-5 minutes at a time in each zone, and then cycle through the areas a few more times, you will get a better soaking of the soil and avoid runoff. It would be better to do 3 cycles of 5 minutes each, rather than 15 minutes in one zone.

Make seasonal adjustments to your system...You don’t need to water for the same amount of time in May, August & October. The weather is different, and your watering schedule should be too.

Get a free water check: 1-877-728-3420–Slow the Flow Hotline They will come to your home, inspect your system and recommend changes to make it more efficient. They check application rate, system uniformity & soil type.

Irrigation methods: Remember to adjust after a rain storm

Hand
Drip

Seven Principles of Xeriscaping:

1. Planning and Design
2. Practical Turf Areas
3. Plant selection & Hydrazoning
4. Soil analysis
5. Mulching
6. Efficient Irrigation
7. Maintenance

Hydrazoning:

Very low water use–no additional water once established, unless in extreme drought
Low water use–1/2" of water added once or twice per month
Moderate water use–3/4" of water added once per week (still about half that of traditional landscapes)
High water use–1/2" of water added 3 times per week (usually Kentucky bluegrass used wisely)


List of plants:

www.utahbotanicalcenter.org The bottom of the homepage has links to two plant lists
www.waterwiseplants.utah.gov Link for a plant list is under "About this Website"

There are also 3 or so sites on the Slow the Flow website.

Turf in functional areas and alternatives to turf:

Turf grass should only be used in areas of the landscape where it is going to be used. If an area is difficult to mow or water, grass shouldn't be planted there. Grass can be used for play areas as well as to have an area for snow removal.

Park strips:

Measure area
Monitor for soil, drainage, exposure
Identify goals–maintenance, water usage
Plan & Design–draw a simple sketch
Select Plants (remember to check city regulations)
Plant, water and maintain