Irrigation system maintenance is necessary to ensure the most efficient use of water that is being applied. Irrigation controllers should be checked at the beginning of each growing season before running sprinklers for the first time.
Programming: Set-up an irrigation schedule. The following basic irrigation schedule is recommended for use in Utah. Consult USU county extension offices for irrigation schedules that are directly applicable to your county
Inspect Sprinkler System: Once the irrigation schedule is programmed, inspect the sprinkler system by checking the valves,sprinkler heads, and emitters. Before running the system, remove the last sprinkler head in each line and let the water run for a few minutes to flush out any dirt and debris. Replace the sprinkler head and turn the system on, running one valve at a time.
Inspect Drip System: As with sprinkler systems, flush the drip system before running it by removing the emitters and letting water run through the tubing for a few minutes to flush out any dirt and debris. Replace emitters and run the system, one valve at a time, to check for problems.
Winterization: Basic winterization of a sprinkler system is quite simple. The water supply should be turned off at the main valve and the irrigation controller should be set to the “rain” or “off” setting. Each valve should be turned on to release pressure in the pipes and water should be drained from the system to protect any components that could freeze. Your system may have drain valves that can be opened for drainage, or you may have to blow out the system using air. You may wish to have your irrigation system blown out by an irrigation professional.
Check Your System: Check your water system at the start of the season to adjust any heads and make sure there was no damage over the winter. The Water Check program offers free irrigation checks in many Utah counties. To find out more, or to find out how to check your system yourself, go to the CWEL Water Check page.
A benefit of established water-wise landscapes is they require less time and money to maintain than a traditional landscape. This assumes you have limited turfgrass to areas where it is practical, you have selected plants adapted to your climate, and you have grouped landscape plants according to their water, soil, and sun exposure requirements. Spend less time trying to manipulate plants to fit your conditions, and more time enjoying their beauty.
A benefit of established water-wise landscapes is they require less time and money to maintain than a traditional landscape. This assumes you have limited turfgrass to areas where it is practical, you have selected plants adapted to your climate, and you have grouped landscape plants according to their water, soil, and sun exposure requirements. In such a landscape, you will spend less time trying to manipulate plants to fit your conditions, and more time enjoying their beauty.
Although the activities required to maintain a water-wise landscape are not different from those of a conventional landscape, the way you think about them will change as you reconsider your plant selections. The main activities of water-wise landscape maintenance are irrigation and irrigation system maintenance, weed control, fertilization, pruning, and pest and disease control.
Keep in mind that newly planted landscapes will require much more “upfront” maintenance, especially regarding weed control, and that all landscapes require some maintenance, whether they are water-wise or not.
A weed is simply a plant out of place. With that in mind, any plant can be a potential weed if it crowds out or uses up resources needed for desirable plants. Some “weedy” plants become such a problem that they end up being declared “noxious” in a particular region.
Controlling weeds is critical to maintaining a healthy water-wise landscape because weeds compete with desirable plants for nutrients, moisture, and sunlight. Remember that water used by a weed is unavailable to desirable plants.
Weeds can be annuals (germinate, reproduce, and die in one season) or perennials (survive over many years). It is important to learn to recognize and classify weeds in the seedling stage because this will determine your best control options.
Perennial weeds are especially difficult to control if you let them grow beyond the seedling stage because they establish deep root systems that are hard to eradicate. You may also find it helpful to learn to distinguish between weed seedlings and seedlings of self-sowing desirable plants, especially if you are using self-sowing plants to fill in some areas of your garden.
Mechanical removal of weeds can be accomplished by hand-pulling, hoeing, or tilling. Even though hand-pulling weeds can be tedious, if done on a regular basis before weeds go to seed, it is the least disruptive weed control method in established plantings.
Hand-pulling works with either annual or perennial weeds, as long as you catch them in the seedling stage. It can be difficult to pull out the entire root system of an established perennial, and if you don’t, it can sprout again from the root or crown. Never leave annual or perennial weeds on top of soil or use as mulch after pulling because some persistent weeds can re-sprout from root crowns and root systems left on the ground.
Annual weeds that haven’t gone to seed can be composted, but perennial weeds should always be discarded in the trash. Hoeing and tilling are alternatives to hand-pulling, but care must be taken around established plantings so you don’t disturb or destroy the roots of desirable plants.
Mulches should be used around landscape plants to inhibit weeds and conserve water. Mulches can be organic materials such as composted wood chips, pine needles, or grass clippings, or they can be inorganic materials such as crushed stone or gravel.
Weed seedlings that do come up in mulched areas are much easier to hand-pull, as long as you catch them early. Organic mulches will need to be refreshed regularly as they slowly decompose. Do this by roughing up the old mulch and adding a light layer of new mulch over the top. Inorganic mulches need to be replaced infrequently.
Book NowLandscape fabric is another effective method for controlling weeds, but its use around landscape plants is controversial. It can interfere with air and water infiltration, and it may inhibit return of organic matter from decomposition of organic mulches to the soil.
Fabrics also can girdle trees as they grow and trunk girth expands. The best use of landscape fabric is beneath 3 to 4 inches of mulch in unplanted areas like walkways, where they can form an effective barrier to weed growth.
The weed control method of last resort should be herbicide use. Of the many options available, pre-emergent herbicides and products containing glyphosate are among the safest and most effective. Pre-emergent herbicides are moved into the soil and activated by moisture. If they are applied in late fall or winter, moisture from either rain or snow precipitation should be adequate to activate them. If precipitation does not occur within three days of application, 1 to 2 inches of water should be applied to treated soil.
Areas of your garden that are watered infrequently or not at all may not receive the full benefit of pre-emergent herbicide application unless you remember to water them in soon after application. Pre-emergent herbicides work by killing seedlings as they sprout, but they will eliminate all germinating plants, not just weeds. Use a pre-emergent herbicide only in areas that are, or will be, planted with rooted plants.
Do not use them if you rely on self-sowing plants to fill in gaps in your perennial flower beds. Glyphosate products eliminate both grasses and broadleaf plants, and are applied directly to emerged, actively growing weeds. Glyphosate takes 7 to 10 days to have an effect.
Do not allow glyphosate-containing products to contact desirable plants, and do not spray under windy conditions because spray drift can also cause unintentional damage to desirable plants. Always read the label for safe and effective use.
All plants require nutrients to grow and remain healthy, but many drought-tolerant native and adapted plants can get all the nutrients they need from a properly maintained soil environment.
Many of our urban landscape soils, however, have been stripped of organic matter and the soil structure disturbed to the point where nothing but the most persistent weeds will grow. For this reason, it is a good idea to have your soil tested prior to installing landscape plants.
In most cases, amending soils with composted organic matter prior to planting will improve the fertility of your soil. Adding organic mulch to planted areas also helps to improve soil fertility over time. If part of your garden will be comprised largely of drought-tolerant native plants, organic amendments may be all they need to thrive.
Over-fertilizing these plants only weakens them and results in rank, unsightly growth. In fact, many of the penstemons and desert-adapted shrubs like Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Rabbitbrush) and Fallugia paradoxa (Apache Plume) thrive on neglect and require the excellent drainage provided by inorganic rock mulch and little to no supplemental fertilization.
Knowing the habitat your plants are adapted to is critical to understanding your plant’s needs. If you don’t know, err on the side of less rather than more nutrients, and watch plants closely throughout the growing season for signs of deficiency.
Nutrient-deficient plants may develop yellow or discolored foliage. If this happens, simply add organic matter or a controlled-release type of complete fertilizer around the root zone, water in thoroughly, and watch for improvement.
Other factors may affect the availability or movement of nutrients through the soil. Plants in sandy soils may need more frequent fertilization than plants in loamy or clay soils. Soils that are alkaline (high pH) may bind essential nutrients and make them unavailable.
A soil test will provide this information and make recommendations for amending the soil. An alternative to soil amendment is to choose plants that are adapted to these conditions. Utah soils are often alkaline, and textures can range from rocky or sandy to silty loam or clay.
Fortunately, plants native to our region have adapted to these conditions, and you can choose from a variety of native plants to fill almost any microclimate in your landscape.
The key is to learn as much as you can about your yard and your plants. Paying attention to the needs of your landscape plants will make you a more successful gardener.