Xeriscape Principles - Castle Pines North, Douglas County, Colorado

Xeriscape Principles
Harriette Einolf – Douglas County Master Gardener

Harriette Einolf-Douglas County Master
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Gardener

COLORADO GARDENING
CHALLENGES
• Low humidity
• Drying winds
• Extreme,
fluctuating
temperatures
• Heavy clay soils

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Gardener

Xeriscape
• Originally coined by a special task force of
– Denver Water Department
– Colorado State University
– Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado
• Derived from the Greek word “xeros”,
meaning dry and landscaping: xeriscape
• Describes landscaping with water
conservation as a major objective
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Gardener

Xeriscape vs Zeroscape

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7 Principles of Xeriscape
1. Develop landscape plan that integrates irrigation
and maintenance
2. Reduce turf and high water use areas
3. Sensible approach to soil amendments
4. Select appropriate plants for the site
5. Mulch the soil to reduce evaporation
6. Irrigate efficiently
7. Set up maintenance to use resources efficiently
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Gardener

1. Develop a landscape plan
• Prevailing winds
• Sun and shade
areas
• Slope orientation
• Wet and dry spots
• Existing trees,
shrubs, flower beds

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Gardener

1. Landscape Plan: Site Exposure
SOUTH
• Warmer, drier
• Extreme temperature
changes
• Longer growing
season
• Spring frost danger

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NORTH
• Cooler
• Year round shade
• Less extreme
temperature
changes
• Persistent snow
cover
• Good for
marginally hardy
plants
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Gardener

EAST
• Morning sun
throughout the year
• Afternoon shade
• Protected from winter
winds
• Moderate
temperatures

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WEST
• Big temperature
swings
• Late Fall and early
Spring frost damage
• NW cold winds
intensify damage

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Gardener

1. Landscape Plan: Irrigation
• Minimize high water
use areas
• Eliminate/minimize
planting in difficult
areas to water
• Group plants with
similar water needs,
cultural requirements
• Tailor watering to
plants’ needs, site,
exposure and season
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Gardener

1. Landscape Plan: Water Zones
HIGH - 1 ½” average per week
• Kentucky Blue Grass
• Maple, Birch, Willow, Annuals
MODERATE- ¾” Average/week
• Some perennials
• Honey Locust, Bur Oak
LOW - 1” average per MONTH
• Blue Grama grass
• Gambel Oak, Sumac
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Gardener

2. Reducing Turf and High Water Use Areas

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2. Turf or NOT ?
• Play areas for tots, pets • Sloping areas
• Provides unity to design • Areas narrower
• Prevents erosion than 8 feet
• Reduces heat reflection • Irregularly shaped
• Harvests water areas, corners
• Recharges groundwater • Areas along fence
• Areas under trees
and shrubs

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Gardener

2. High Water vs Low Water Turf
Kentucky Blue Grass Blue Grama Grass
• 35-56” annual water • 12-18” annual water
• 20” annual for survival • No irrigation when
• Sun or light shade established
• Moist, well-drained soil • Sun
• Mow height 3” • Sand or clay soil
• Unmowed height • Mow height 3-5”
4” to 36” • Unmowed height
12” to 18”

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Gardener

2. Turf Alternatives: Turkish Veronica

• Full sun or light shade
• Good drainage needed
• Evergreen
• Mid-Spring bloom
• Ground hugging mat
• Light foot traffic
• Attractive year round

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Gardener

2. Turf Alternatives: Wooly Thyme

• Full sun or dry shade
• Dry, well-drained
clay soil
• Low to moderate
water
• Blooms in Spring
• Low foot traffic

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Gardener

2. Turf Alternatives: Persicaria Affinus

• Sun to light shade
• Tolerates poor soil
• Low water
• Late summer bloom
• Copper red Fall color
• 6” foliage - 10” flowers
• No foot traffic

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Gardener

3. Sensible Approach to Soil Amendments

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Paths to Soil Improvement
• Improve soil by adding
amendments
• Paths direct foot traffic
• Preserve and protect
the soil by mulching
• Select plants best suited
to existing soil

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Gardener

3. SOIL: Soil Amendments
Benefits
• Increase water and nutrient-holding capacity
• Improve soil aeration
• Some act as fertilizers
• Some increase soil organic content
• Many different kinds
• CSU Fact Sheet 7.214

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Gardener

3. Clay Soil
• Small pore spaces
• Drains slowly
• Alkaline PH
• Prone to compaction
• Repels surface water
• High water retention
• Don’t work clay soil
when wet!
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Gardener

3. Planting Trees in Clay Soil
• Do NOT amend the soil!
• Dig shallow, wide hole
– so that top of root ball sits 2-4” above soil line
– 2 to 5 times as wide as the diameter of the pot
• Do not disturb the soil at the bottom of the
hole; apply water and let it soak in
• Place the root ball in the hole, and return
loosened soil around the tree
• Water regularly until tree is established
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3. Improving the Soil: Exceptions
• Many native plants
like native soil

• In improved soils:
– Plants lose xeric
characteristics

– May not bloom

– Won’t thrive
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Gardener

4. Selecting Appropriate Plants

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4. Plant Selection
• Does the site meet the plant’s needs?
• What is the plant’s mature size?
• Does the site allow for its mature size?
• Is the plant available and affordable?
• Check CSU Fact Sheets for xeric choices

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Gardener

4. Plant Select
Criteria for Selected Plants plantselect.org

• Grows well here • Plant Lists
• Adapts to challenging • Downloadable designs
climates • Demonstration Gardens
• Good pest resistance • Extensive search
• Long season of beauty
• Non-invasive plants
• Caution: not all are xeric

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Gardener

Plant Select Grasses
Giant Sacaton Korean Feather Grass

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Plant Select: Perennials
Sonoran Sunset Hyssop Red Feathers Echium
Sunset Hyssop

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Plant Select: Ground Covers
Wine Cups Panchito Manzanita

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Xeric Plants
• Regular watering a must
the first year to get
established
• Don’t plant in wet spots
• After planting, water
slowly but thoroughly
• Mulch after planting to
retain moisture

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Gardener

5. Benefits of Mulching
• Retains water in soil
• Insulates soil from
extremes of heat and
cold
• Controls erosion
• Prevents or minimizes
weeds
• Reduces maintenance

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Gardener

5. Organic Mulches
• Shredded bark, Cedar
mulch
• Wood chips, chunk bark
• Chipper debris
• Compost
• Leaves
• Lawn clippings
• CSU Fact Sheet 7.214

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Gardener

5. Inorganic Mulches
• Pea gravel
• Squeegee and crusher
fines
• Gravel, river rock
• Crushed stone
• Decomposed granite
• Woven landscape fabrics
• Black Plastic

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Gardener

6. Irrigate efficiently and employ
sound watering practices

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6. Types of Irrigation

• Automatic sprinkler
systems
• Drip Irrigation
• Soaker Hoses
• Hand watering

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7. Maintain your landscape
• Weeding
• Deadheading
• Pruning
• Sucker Removal
• Disease and Pest
Management
• Irrigation System
Maintenance

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7. Maintain Your Landscape: Weeding
• Weekly Garden/Weed Walk
• Weed the day after rain
• Using Glysophate (Roundup)
– Kills actively growing plants
– 24 hours needed to penetrate roots
– Works best in 70 to 90 daytime temperatures
– Read label carefully
– Spray away from storm drains and creeks

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7. Deadheading
• Clip dead flowers before
they go to seed
• Cut just above leaf node
• Focuses plant’s energy
on foliage and flowers
• Saves weeding time
• Improves beauty of
garden

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Gardener

7. Pruning and Removing Suckers
Pruning
• Late winter/early Spring is best time
• Prune dead branches
• Prune branches that rub together
• Prune outside tree trunk collar
• ext.colostate.edu/index.html
– Search on Pruning
Removing Suckers
• Remove suckers ASAP
• Suckers sap energy from other tree
growth
• Enhances beauty of tree

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Gardener

7. Irrigation System Management

• Critical for water conservation
• Don’t rely on automatic timers
• Check your sprinkler system weekly
• Replace broken sprinkler heads and drips
• Install a moisture sensor: up to $100 rebate!

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Gardener

7. Setting Your Irrigation System
• Best time to water plants
– Cycles start after 5AM and finish by 10AM
– Cycles start after 7PM and finish by 10PM
• Soak and Cycle for lawns and slopes
– Determine total amount of time needed
– Total time number of cycles = cycle time
– Set 2 or 3 cycles for the cycle time
– Allow 30 to 60 minutes between cycles

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7. Set Your Irrigation System: Lawns
• Best time to water lawns
– Start cycles after 10PM and finish by 6AM
• For Kentucky Blue Grass
– May and Sept: 1 inch per week
– June: 1¼ inch per week
– July and August: 1½ inch per week
– October: ½ inch per week
• Water deeply and infrequently
• Soak and Cycle for deep penetration
• CSU Fact Sheet: Watering Established Lawns

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Gardener

7. Watering Tips for Conservation
• Plant early in morning
• Transplant plants in Spring
• Focus water on plant roots
• Reduce the need for lawn fertilizers by proper
mowing and grass recycling
– 3 inch length for Kentucky Blue Grass
– Mow to 2 inches
• Aerate lawns in Spring
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Gardener

7. Aerating Lawns in Clay Soil
• Spring is best
• Soil cores should be
4 to 6” deep
• Core aeration adds
air and improves
water absorption
and soil quality

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Gardener

7. Dealing with Drought
• Don’t fertilize or prune when water is scarce
• Don’t apply pesticides
• Hold back water early in season so plants
need less water during the hottest months
• Kentucky Blue grass may go dormant: it may
turn brown but is not dead
• Restrict traffic on dormant turf to avoid
damage
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Gardener

7 Principles of Xeriscape
1. Develop landscape plan that integrates irrigation
and maintenance
2. Reduce turf and high water use areas
3. Sensible approach to soil amendments
4. Select appropriate plants for the site
5. Mulch the soil to reduce evaporation
6. Irrigate efficiently
7. Set up maintenance to use resources efficiently
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Gardener

Resources
• CSU Extension: ext.colostate.edu/index.html
– Fact Sheets and PlantTalk
• Douglas County Extension Office
– Hot Line for Residents with Questions
– 720-733-6935
– Mon-Fri 8AM-4PM April through September
• Plant Select
– http://plantselect.org/

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Gardener

Xeriscape Principles - Castle Pines North, Douglas County, Colorado

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Xeriscape Principles - Castle Pines North, Douglas County, Colorado