Landscape Design in Sacramento

Homeowners and landscape designers in Sacramento, Tucson, Reno and especially Bakersfield are aware of the challenges confronting them when it comes to landscape design.

And, if you happen to live in Death Valley and garden there, you can find out quickly how appropriate the name of the city is. Summer heat is the number one cause of plant demise in hot summer climate zones.

Sure, improper soil preparation (overdoing the compost) and other factors such as burying the crown too deep can also kill plants – but lack of moisture during periods of high heat stress is the number one culprit..

The following tips may prove helpful when planting in a hot summer climate:

Don’t limit yourself to native plants to the immediate area (unless you’re a purist planting a completely native garden). Plants are native to your local climate because they receive little to no summer irrigation in a mediterranean climate.

While these types of plants must be watered to get them started in the garden, native plants often fail due to the inability to adapt to summer irrigation practices. Two good plant examples are ceanothus and manzanita. Better to choose from the palette of water-wise plants found from around the world.

The selection is greater and will produce a more interesting finished garden plan.

Should you install a drip or spray system? Often the housing development will dictate which way you lean, but the following should be considered.While drip is a great way to start plants out, it is an unnatural way to deposit water for plant growth.

Irrigation systems are not created equal. Drip emitters deposit water at high concentration at one spot – normally directly into the root-ball of the plant. While this is great to get plants started, after some time this can be a factor which can limit plant growth. Remember that roots want to spread way out below grade – often 60 percent or more beyond the spread of the plants above ground foliage mass.

Over time more emitters should be added to the line to allow for healthy root growth. Also, proper match must be made with concern to emitter flow rate in terms of GPM (gallons-per-minute) to the planting. Available commonly in 1 – 2 and 4GPM emitters, you’ll need to adjust valve run time by actually checking water depth by physically checking water penetration. This is done by digging into the soil next to a plant after a valve run-time.

Drip systems often cause plant demise because emitters clog – especially in areas with hard water. Because you don’t see the water being emitted, you’ll only know your plant isn’t getting watered when plants show signs of stress or die. With all that said, if a spray system is allowable, by all means install one. It may be a bit more involved on the install end, but think of it this way.

A spray system deposits water like a rain-storm – evenly across the entire area. Also, there is controversy as to whether you will actually save water with a drip system. Drip systems run for hours at a lower flow volumn for sure, but spray systems are on for minutes.

Once the proper plants and irrigation system are in place don’t forget to mulch, mulch, mulch. In terms of water conservation and general plant growth and health, there is no more important factor. You’ll keep roots cool and happy, help control weeds and have a finished looking planter bed as the bare earth will be covered.

Did you know that redwood and cedar mulch that you buy from local suppliers contain natural plant tannins that suppress root and plant growth until completely leached from soil? If available, get free mulch from local tree removal companies and or your local electric utility company. They must keep tree growth down under power lines and this chipped waste is great for the garden. Lay it down 6 to 8 inches thick and before you know it you’ll have soil that looks like cultivated farm land.