Early spring is the perfect time to get ready for the summer watering season.
Performing a few important maintenance tasks now can help your landscape hold water and improve its water efficiency. The tips below help sustain healthy soils that cycle nutrients, minimize runoff, and retain water. And, when the time finally comes to start up your irrigation system, these steps will help you get the most out of the water you use.
Amend your soil.
Soil can become compacted over time, preventing water from moving through it. Aerating your soil increases infiltration of water into the ground, improving water flow to the plant’s root zone and reducing water runoff. Aerate compacted soil by spreading a thin layer of compost over the ground, then tilling (or turning the soil with a shovel) between 6 inches to a foot. Be careful not to till your soil too often, though — doing so can speed up the decomposition of organic matter and make soil even more compact over time. Some gardeners till once a year, others totally avoid tilling except to remediate compacted soil. For more information on combating soil compaction, check out this article from the University of Delaware.
Applying a thin layer of compost to bare soils without tilling also creates an effective barrier against evaporation of soil moisture. This is called top- or side-dressing. Compost also reduces plants’ needs for water by increasing how much water can be held by the soil – only a 5% increase in organic material quadruples the soil’s water holding capacity.
Use mulch around shrubs and garden plants.
Mulch is defined as any organic material spread around or over a plant to enrich or insulate the soil. A good mulch reduces evaporation, inhibits weed growth, moderates soil temperature, and prevents erosion.
Make sure to choose a firewise mulch! In a study conducted in the aftermath of the Almeda Fire, Ashland Fire & Rescue found that mulches with large wood chunks burned rapidly and intensely; Fine-grained mulches and bark dust burned with less intensity, but still with enough heat to catch an adjacent building on fire. The City of Ashland recommends an inorganic mulch (in other words, not from plant materials), like decomposed granite, or fine compost only if organic mulch is a must-have. The results of the study are highlighted in a video: ““The Real Dirt on Mulch Flammability.”
Plan ahead for a waterwise landscape.
If you’re designing a new landscape or rethinking your current one, the City of Ashland’s Water Wise Landscaping website has helpful ideas on plants that are not only waterwise, but are also firewise, pollinator-friendly and deer-resistant. Or, residents can call 541-552-2062 for more information.
Consider shrinking or eliminating your lawn.
Nationwide, one-third of household water use goes to outdoor landscaping; in arid climates, that number can climb as high as sixty percent. Lawns guzzle a disproportionate amount of that water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The good news is that every year, more and more Ashlanders are downsizing their lawns with beautiful waterwise landscapes.
Did you know that the City offers rebates when you replace your irrigated lawn with climate-appropriate, low-water-use landscapes, and efficient irrigation systems? For more information, or an application, contact the City of Ashland at (541) 552-2062 or conserve@ashland.or.us.
If you have a lawn, dethatch it!
Thatch is a layer of organic material and old dry grass between the green lawn and the soil. Thatch can act as a barrier that prevents vital water, air, and nutrients from reaching roots. Spring is a good time to dethatch, as you prepare the lawn for the coming growing season while conditions are optimum for rapid recovery. Read more about dethatching from Oregon State University.