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Sustainable Landscapes

Sustainable Landscapes. Sustainability “meeting the needs of today’s population without diminishing the ability of future populations to meet their needs.” . Sustainable Landscapes. Incorporate plants suited for the climate Conserve water Nurture and protect soil

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Sustainable Landscapes

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  1. Sustainable Landscapes

  2. Sustainability “meeting the needs of today’s population without diminishing the ability of future populations to meet their needs.”

  3. Sustainable Landscapes • Incorporate plants suited for the climate • Conserve water • Nurture and protect soil • Prevent/reduce pest problems • Conserve energy/reduce Pollution • Encourage wildlife

  4. Why Garden Sustainably?

  5. Sustainable Landscaping…… Leaves a greener footprint for our children’s children

  6. Sustainable Landscapes Incorporate plants suitable for climate/location Conserve water Nurture and protect soil Prevent/reduce pest problems Conserve energy/Reduce pollution Encourage wildlife

  7. Select plants recommended for your Sunset Zone

  8. And Microclimate

  9. Microclimates Impact Plant Health and Water Use

  10. Water Needs increase in Heat Islands • Landscape plants in heat islands require up to 50% more water than the same species in park settings

  11. A plant out of place is a weed!

  12. Sustainable LandscapesConserve Water Through: 1. Hydrozoning 2. Scheduling irrigations based on plant needs 3. Making sure sprinklers/drip systems work properly 4. Using mulch and soil amendments effectively

  13. Hydrozone : Place plants with similar water needs together and irrigate them accordingly

  14. Star Jasmine Less Drought Resistant than Cotoneaster

  15. Drip Irrigate Trees, Shrubs, and Gardens to Reduce Soil Evaporation and to Apply Water Directly into Root Zones

  16. Convert Sprinkler System to Drip • Great for areas of shrubs and annuals adjacent to groundcovers or turf • Can add 1 – 12 tubes • Simple and efficient in some cases • Pressure problems can limit its success

  17. Steps 1 and 2: Replace Sprinkler Head w/Drip Head

  18. Steps 3 and 4: Add ¼” Drip Tube and Stake

  19. Warm-Season Lawns (bermudagrasss) Use Less Water than Cool-season lawns (tall fescue)

  20. To prevent water waste and brown spots in turf and groundcovers, repair leaks, low heads, broken sprinklers, unmatched sprinklers and pressure and spacing problems

  21. Use UC ANR’s Lawn Watering Guide Based on Warm Season Kc = .6 and Cool Season Kc = .8 and a Distribution Uniformity of 80%

  22. How to Use the ‘Lawn Watering Guide’ http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8044.pdf • Determine type of lawn (warm vs cool season turf) • Conduct a ‘Can Test’ to determine sprinkler system output and distribution uniformity • Determine how long to irrigate (minutes per week) based on climatic chart provided • Determine maximum amount of time to water per event until runoff just begins

  23. Grasscycle! Saves time/money Adds organic matter to lawns Recycles nutrients Reduces greenwaste in landfills

  24. Buffalograss • Use ½ of minutes suggested for warm-season lawn watering guide

  25. Carex praegracillis (Clustered Field Sedge) - Use cool-season Lawn Watering Guide

  26. Lawn Alternatives • Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) • low growing (2”) • soft, fragrant lawn • drought resistant • cold-tolerant

  27. Lawn Alternatives (Con’d) • Blue fescue (Festuca ovina glauca) • Drought-resistant • Striking blue evergreen • Grows to 6” tall

  28. CA Natives for Lawn Replacement • Ceanothus maritimus (native to San Luis Obispo County) • Tolerates clay soil • Blue flowers • Low-growing, spreading

  29. Lawn Alternatives (Con’d) • Vancouveria hexandra (Inside-out Flower) • Takes some shade • Shortly deciduous • Somewhat drought resistant once established

  30. Water cycling may be necessary to avoid run-off. Divide the total amount of water required per day into 2-4 cycles. Apply water as close to initial event as possible before soil dries out.

  31. Irrigate Deeply and Infrequently and Monitor Soil Moisture Soil probe Soil sampling tube

  32. Other Methods to Conserve Water in the Landscape

  33. Minimize the use of water to clean sidewalks and driveways

  34. Remove weeds that compete with landscape plants for water

  35. Irrigate Established Plants Deeply and Infrequently • Avoid watering every day • Water a few inches below the current root system during each watering to encourage deep rooting

  36. Improve Water-Holding Capacity and/or Drainage with Compost Mixed Evenly into Soil (6” – 1’)

  37. Don’t Let Water Get Away!Permeable surfaces Infiltration Basins Water Collection

  38. Apply Mulch Around Plants

  39. Mulch Conserves Water and Beautifies Landscapes

  40. Avoid Over-fertilizing Creates flushes of weak growth Increases water requirement

  41. Avoid Soil Compaction Keep construction activities several feet from landscape plantings Incorporate organic soil amendments (except for tree planting sites)

  42. Soil Compaction • Decreases aeration/drainage/root growth • Can result in fungal diseases • Can result in plant decline and death

  43. Prevent Erosion by Maintaining Plantings on Slopes and Hillsides Prevents loss of valuable soil Prevents landslides and property losses

  44. San Bernardino County (909)387-2182 Riverside County (951)683-6491

  45. Can You Make One Change? Questions???

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