Many homeowners' associations (HOAs) are trying to keep common areas in the neighborhood looking nice. The areas often have a mix of turfgrass and trees on them. Turfgrass can be expensive to maintain because it requires a lot of water, fertilizer, and mowing. Some HOAs, especially in arid areas, are seeking alternatives to turfgrass that are easier and cheaper to maintain.
What Is Xeriscaping?
Xeriscaping is landscaping designed to reduce water use and lower inputs like fertilizer. It is also called water-wise gardening. A xeriscape can be just as attractive as a regular garden but can use as much as 50% less water. In addition, it requires less mowing, little to no fertilizer or pesticides, and attracts far more wildlife.
Seven Principles of Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is not hard if you follow the seven principles of xeriscaping.
Proper Planning and Design
Look at the plants that already exist in your landscape. These plants can point toward the kinds of plants that do well in the soil and sunlight conditions you have. When choosing plants, group areas into three zones: high water use, medium water use, and low water use.
High water use areas are small, high impact areas around doors or windows. They should be no more than 10% of the area you are landscaping. These areas are watered as often as the plants need.
Medium water use areas are watered only when the plants wilt or otherwise exhibit signs of water stress. These areas should make up no more than 30% of your total landscape.
Low water use areas are watered only until they are established. During periods of extreme drought, they may need watering, but otherwise, they live off the rainfall of the region. These areas should comprise at least 60% of the total landscape. They are an excellent area to plant in native plants, which are already adapted to the rainfall, pests, and diseases of the area. Native plants also help pollinators, birds, and animals who are native to the area.
Soil Analysis and Improvements
In order to plan the best plants for your xeriscape, you need to know the soil characteristics in each area you plan to plant. You can get instructions for testing your soil from your county Extension agent. You will get a report with the nutrients in the soil, the soil type, and suggested fertilizer to add before planting your new plants.
Compost and other organic matter, such as leaves, can be added to the soil to improve drainage and provide nitrogen that is naturally slow release, so it won’t burn your plants.
When constructing areas in the landscape, use swales and berms to add interest to the landscape and channel storm water efficiently. Plant moisture-loving plants in the lower parts of the landscape. Plant drought tolerant plants in higher areas of the landscape, like on the berms.
Appropriate Plant Selection
When choosing plants for your landscape, consider how much sun each area receives, how intense that sun is, how windy the area is, your average summer and winter temperatures, and how well-drained the area is. Choose plants native to your area whenever possible. Make sure you choose plants that will fit in the landscape when they are mature. This reduces the need for pruning.
There is a lot of space between a large tree and the ground. Layer your landscape to create a more pleasing, natural landscape. For example, white oaks make a good shade tree. Choose small trees or shrubs to plant near the oak tree, such as persimmons or a redbud tree. Next, layer in some tall perennials, such as red cardinal flowers. Finally, add ground covers or annuals. This creates a more natural landscape that is lower maintenance as well.
Practical Turf Areas
Turfgrass is a water hog. While it can’t be beat for traffic tolerance, it requires lots of water, fertilizer, and regular mowing. Place turfgrass only in the areas that get lots of traffic, such as soccer fields. Choose wisely when picking turfgrass. Bermuda grass, for example, takes a lot of traffic. It can tolerate drought if it is otherwise healthy. It doesn’t tolerate shade, however. Your county Extension agent can tell you what turfgrass grows best in your area.
Efficient Irrigation
Your irrigation system should be designed after you design the landscape. Drip irrigation is the gold standard of irrigation but isn’t practical everywhere. Drip irrigation can use 30-50 percent less water than sprinkler irrigation, especially if you live in a hot climate. Water is delivered directly to the root zone of the plant so less is lost to evaporation. Use drip irrigation for flower beds, trees, and shrubs. Turfgrass areas, however, are best watered with sprinkler irrigation.
You will have to water all your plants for the first year, so they get established. Water every day for the first two weeks, then gradually reduce watering until you water an inch a week for the rest of the year. You may have to water twice a week during the summer in very hot climates.
Use of Mulch
Using mulch around trees and shrubs and in landscape beds helps retain water and minimize evaporative loss from wind. Three inches of hardwood mulch helps prevent weeds from growing and moderates soil temperatures. Mulch adds organic matter and beneficial microorganisms to the soil. It also prevents erosion and keeps soil from splashing up onto plant foliage and causing diseases. Each spring, you need to add an inch of mulch to all the areas that it covers to compensate for the mulch that breaks down at the interface of mulch and soil.
When mulching, do not let mulch touch any stem or the bark on trees and shrubs. It will cause the area it is touching to rot because of the moisture it retains. Leave a three-inch open space around trees and shrubs so the mulch forms a donut around the tree trunk. Leave an inch open space around herbaceous plants.
Appropriate Maintenance
Areas of the landscape with native plants in them require less water, fertilizer, and pruning than non-natives. Prune only to remove broken and diseased branches. Discard any diseased branches in the trash so the disease does not spread. In areas with oak wilt, do not prune oak trees between February and July. Prune them in the late fall or winter, after they have gone dormant. Prune ornamental grass in the early spring.
Of course, you have to mow any areas with turfgrass on them but set the mower at 3 inches instead of 2 inches. Let the clippings fall on the grass. Letting clippings remain on the grass recycles as much as 30% of the nitrogen applied to the grass, so you do not have to fertilize as much. The more you fertilize grass, the faster it grows and the more you must mow it. Use the least amount of fertilizer you can and still have healthy grass.
We Can Help
At Tennessee Wholesale Nursery, our staff are trained to help you decide on the best plants for your xeriscape. Call us at 931.692.7325 to get started today.
