Principles for a Sustainable Landscape
Water-Efficient Landscaping is
a Major Component of
Sustainable Landscaping which:
“meets 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
– Prevent/reduce
pest problems
– Conserve energy/reduce
Pollution
– Encourage wildlife
Why Garden Sustainably?
Save
Money
Improve
Garden Health
Protect
Water Quality
and
Wildlife
Sustainable Landscaping……
Leaves a greener footprint for our children’s
children
Sustainable Landscapes
• Incorporate plants suitable for
climate/location
• Conserve water
• Nurture and protect soil
• Prevent/reduce pest problems
• Conserve energy/Reduce
pollution
• Encourage wildlife
Select plants
recommended for
your Sunset Zone
And
Microclimate
(shade, etc.)
Microclimates
Impact Plant
Health and Water
Use
Water Needs increase in Heat Islands
• Landscape plants in heat islands require up to
50% more water than the same species in
park settings
Sustainable Landscapes
Conserve 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
Hydrozone : Place plants with similar
water needs together and irrigate
them accordingly
Drip Irrigate Trees,
Shrubs, and
Gardens to Reduce
Soil Evaporation
and to Apply
Water Directly into
Root Zones
Warm-Season Lawns (Bermuda) Use Less Water
than Cool-season Lawns (Tall Fescue)
Lawn Watering Guide for California
http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8044.pdf
To prevent water waste and brown spots in
turf and groundcovers, repair leaks, low
heads, broken sprinklers, unmatched
sprinklers and pressure and spacing problems
If you Keep your Lawn,
Grasscycle!
• Saves time/money
• Adds organic matter
to lawn
• Recycles nutrients
• Reduces greenwaste
in landfills
UC Verde
(below)
CALLIANDRA CALIFORNICA
BAJA FAIRY DUSTER
Mature plants
reach a size of 4
to 6 feet tall and
wide. Baja red
fairy duster does
well in full sun
or part shade,
and is tolerant
St. Elmo’s Fire (Russelia)
- 3’ by 4’
- Fast growing
- Desert hardy
CA Natives for Lawn Replacement
• Ceanothus maritimus
– Tolerates clay soil
– Blue flowers
– Low-growing, spreading
It’s More Than Just Cactus!
Parkinsonia hybrid
‘Desert Museum’
DESERT MUSEUM PALO
VERDE
Hybrid with a thornless sturdy
structure and strong vertical
form. Mature size: 25 feet to 30
feet with 20-foot spread. Spring
flowers.
Ebanopsis ebano
(Texas Ebony)
Dense, dark green leaves
and spiny twigs; great
security barrier.
Desirable tree for a small
garden. Slow growth to
20 to 30 feet with a
spread of 15 to 20 feet
Fragrant, cream-colored
flowers in late spring
Leather Leaf Acacia
(Acacia craspedocarpa)
Desert Whitecap
Evergreen perennial with
large 4-inch white
flowers. Blooms on and
off but most prolific in
spring. Plants form
rounded clumps 1 to 11/2’ feet high and 3’
wide.
Desert Trees and Shrubs for Windbreaks
Acacia aneura, Mulga Acacia
Brachychiton populneus, Bottle Tree
Ceratonia siliqua, Carob
Cupressus arizonica, Arizona Cypress
Cupressus glabra 'Gareei', Rough Bark Cypress
Eucalyptus microtheca, Coolibah Tree
Eucalyptus spathulata, Swamp Malee
Pinus eldarica, Afghan Pine
Pinus pinea, Italian Stone Pine
Rhus lancea, African Sumac
Water cycling may be necessary to avoid runoff. 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.
Irrigate Deeply and Infrequently
and Monitor Soil Moisture
Soil probe
Soil sampling tube
Other Methods to
Conserve Water in the Landscape
Minimize the use of water to clean
sidewalks and driveways
Remove weeds that compete with
landscape plants for water
Improve WaterHolding
Capacity and/or
Drainage with
Compost Mixed
Evenly into Soil
(6” – 1’)
Don’t Let Water Get Away!
Permeable surfaces
Infiltration Basins
Water
Collection
Apply Mulch Around Plants
Mulch Conserves Water and
Beautifies Landscapes
Avoid Over-fertilizing
• Creates flushes
of weak growth
• Increases water
requirement
Avoid Soil Compaction
• Keep construction
activities several feet
from landscape
plantings
• Incorporate organic
soil amendments
(except for tree
planting sites)
Soil Compaction
• Wastes water
• Decreases aeration/drainage/root growth
• Can result in fungal diseases
• Can result in plant decline
and death
Irrigate Sloped Landscapes Slowly and
Deeply to Prevent Runoff
• Prevents loss of
valuable soil
• Prevents
Pollution of
Ground and
Surface Waters
Principles of Sustainable
Landscaping
•
•
•
•
•
Climatically/microclimatically Selected Plants
Water Efficient/Hydrozoned
Pollution Friendly (water quality, noise, dust)
Employs Integrated Pest Management
Reduces, Recycles, and Reuses Greenwaste
It’s Recycling…
Naturally
What is compost?
An organic soil conditioner created by decomposing organic
matter under controlled conditions until it is stable enough to
improve soils without harming plants or transmitting disease.
Grass clippings
Food scraps
Leaves
Compost
The CA Waste Management
Act (Assembly Bill 929)
• Divert 25% of organic matter destined for
landfills by 1995
• Divert 50% by 2000
• Limited landfill space should be
reserved for materials that cannot be
recycled or composted
• Garbage handling is the 4th largest
expense for many cities.
• Composted greenwaste benefits
landscape plants and the
environment
Annual California Waste Disposal,
Diversion and Generation
Composting Yard Wastes
• In CA, yard wastes are the largest component
of municipal waste
• Grass clippings comprise approximately half of
the yard trimmings deposited in state landfills.
• An average California turf area produces 300
to 400 pounds of grass clippings per 1,000
square feet annually (up to 8 tons per acre).
High Quality Soils
• Good Physical Properties (structure and
texture)
• Adequate Nutrients (N, P, K, etc.)
• Healthy Biota (beneficial microbes that
decompose organic matter and cycle nutrients
and mycorrhizae)
• Adequate Organic Matter
Soil Textures
Soil Textures (Types)
Compost
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improves soil tilth
Improves water and nutrient holding capacity
Improves drainage in heavy soils
Prevents/reduces erosion
Improves soil aeration
May decrease chemical fertilizer requirement
Remediates chemically damaged soils
Increases number and range of microbes
Filters storm water runoff
Compost is Not a Fertilizer
• Nitrogen and
phosphorus are
mostly in organic
forms
– Released slowly to plants
– Not readily leached from the
topsoil
• Compost contains
many trace nutrients
that are essential for
plant growth
Creating Quality Compost
• Compost is generated when organic matter is
consumed and decomposed by microbes under
favorable conditions
– Nutrient balance
– Moisture
– Temperature
– Aeration
When is Compost Mature?
• Dark brown
• Crumbly, loose,
and humus-like
• Earthy smell
• Contains no readily
recognizable feedstock
• The pile has shrunk to
about 1/3 of its original volume
Stability and Maturity of Finished
Compost
Bag test: sealing compost
in a plastic bag for several
days should produce no
foul odor
Germination test: radish or
fast germinating seeds
Compost Quality,
Testing, and Use Standards
• End uses (eg: soil amendment, mulch)
depend on compost physical, chemical, and
biological qualities
• Selecting the right product very important for
success
• Fortunately, standards have been developed
to guarantee product consistency
US Composting Council Quality
Assurance
• During the 1990’s labs used different
testing procedures and tests that were not
comparable among labs
• Standardized testing procedures developed
in 2000
Three Components:
• TMECC: Test Methods for the Evaluation of
Composting and Compost
• STA: Seal of Testing Assurance Program
• CAP: Compost Analysis Proficiency Program
Three Components:
• TMECC: Test Methods for the Evaluation of
Composting and Compost
• STA: Seal of Testing Assurance Program
• CAP: Compost Analysis Proficiency Program
ACP Compost Use Index
• Collaboration of the Association of Compost
Producers and University of California for
indexing composts based on their suitability
for various uses
• Includes 14 test parameters
Preferred Ranges
• pH: 6.5 – 7.5 when used as a soil amendment
• Soluble Salts: Expressed as electrical
conductivity (EC) in decisiemens per meter.
EC values for composts and soils are not
directly comparable. Many plants are
damaged by soil ECs of greater than 2.0 dS/m.
• Trace Elements/Micronutrients: zinc,
manganese, iron VS arsenic, cadmium, lead,
mercury, etc.
Compost Uses in
the Landscape
• Soil Amendment
• Mulch
• Turf topdressing
• Erosion Control Agent
• Water Quality Enhancer
Soil Amendment
• Most common landscape use
• Turf, groundcovers, shrubs, annual and
perennial beds
• Not recommended for tree planting sites
Composted
Greenwaste used
as a
Bermudagrass Soil
Amendment
Figure 1. Composted greenwaste prior to amending into native
sandy loam soil at University of California, Riverside.
Avoid root bound trees!
Soil Compaction
Amending Soil With Compost
• Amend entire planting site or bed when possible,
adding at least 30% compost to original soil
• Or, dig hole at least 3 times the size of root ball
• Thoroughly mix compost at least 6 inches deep
• Plant at original depth (not too deep)
• Irrigate immediately and deeply
Compost Criteria for Use as Soil
Amendment
• 95% should clear a 5/8” screen and at least 70%
should clear a 3/8” screen
• Organic Matter content: 30 – 65%
• C:N ratio: 20:1 or lower
• pH: 6.0 – 8.5
• Soluble Salts: sodium less than 25% of total
Criteria (Con’d)
• Moisture content: 30 – 60%
• Contaminants: (glass, plastic, metal) less than
.5% by weight
• Maturity: Dark color and no offensive odor
Thank You!
Janet Hartin
951.313.2023
jshartin@ucdavis.edu
Download and Use/Print PowerPoints
http://ucanr.org/filevault