Plants and Planting
All living things require water, but not necessarily the same amount. The water needs of plants and trees vary widely, based on factors such as size, genetics and location.
When thinking about how to make your landscape more water-efficient, it's important to consider the types of plants, their specific water needs and where to plant them. Making wise choices to replace thirsty, high-water use plants and lawn with those more appropriate for the Sacramento region and that naturally use less water is one of the most effective steps toward lowering landscape water use.
The following tips can greatly increase the odds of your plants living long and beautiful lives:
Plan before you plant!
- Group plants with similar water needs. This is referred to as hydrozoning and is key to water-efficient irrigation and landscaping.
- Hydrozoning helps provide each group of plants the needed amount of water, avoiding damage caused by over or under watering.
- Avoid mixing high-water use plants and low-water use plants in the same planting area.
- Each hydrozone should be served by one irrigation valve or control zone.
- Identify areas in your yard that are unusual—consistently dry or wet, always sunny, always shady, always cool or always warm. These areas are called "microclimates" and may be able to support plants not usually adapted to the area. These can also be unique hydrozones.
- Incorporate water-wise plants with the same water, light and soil requirements into your landscape; consider colors of flowers, fruit, foliage and bark.
- Some California natives may require no supplemental summer irrigation after one or two years. Provide these plants with their own hydrozone if possible.
- Always consider the size of plants at maturity in your planning and place plants in areas that will provide enough room for them to grow to their natural size and shape.
- Consider proven plant choices like the UC Arboretum All-Stars or low-water use natives from the California Native Plant Society.
- When planting trees, avoid placing them in lawn areas. Install a separate irrigation valve for these valuable landscape plants to assure they get the amount they require on a different schedule than shrubs and perennials. Many local resources provide valuable information for properly planting and irrigating trees, including Trees are Good and the Sacramento Tree Foundation.
- Replace traditionally high-water use turfgrass with UC Verde Buffalograss or native grasses or low-water use plants.
- If keeping your lawn, reduce it to a useable size and remember that water-wise irrigation techniques will develop deep, strong roots and your lawn will be less sensitive to drought conditions.
- Trees left behind after turf grass removal still require deep but infrequent watering.
- Fall is the optimal time for planting in Northern California; natives can be planted once winter rains begin.
- Add compost to garden beds and lawns at least twice a year (spring and fall) to retain soil moisture and increase water penetration.
