Xeriscape - Based on Sound Horticultural Practices

Follow these steps for a low water-using, yet beautiful, landscape.

1- Plan Ahead

• Create a scaled drawing of the lot, including buildings and walks. Identify sunny and shady areas, slopes and views.
• Evaluate the needs of people using the landscape. Do kids and pets need a big open area? Is a large deck for entertaining important?
• Group plants with similar water needs to make watering easier.
• Phase in the landscape plan as money and time allow.

2- Improve the Soil

• Good soil absorbs and retains water better than poor soil.
• Send a soil sample to a soil lab to determine nutrient content.
• Most Colorado soils benefit from adding two to three cubic yards of organic matter, such as commercial compost or aged manure, for every 1,000 square feet of landscape area.

3- Irrigate Efficiently

• Grass: use low-volume, low-angle sprinklers.
• Trees, shrubs, flowers and ground covers: use drip, spray or bubbler emitters.
• Adjust your watering times monthly to meet seasonal needs.
• Install a rain shutoff device.
• Efficient hose-end sprinklers throw large drops of water, not a mist, close to the ground.
• Water deeply and infrequently to develop deep roots.
• Water between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. to reduce water loss due to evaporation.
• Read about water-efficient sprinkler systems.

4- Limit Turf Areas

• Confine the lawn to high traffic areas and areas where it will be used.
• Kentucky bluegrass requires 24-26 inches of supplemental irrigation in a normal precipitation year, compared to Fine Fescue which requires 18-20 inches and Buffalograss which requires 8-10 inches.
• Wildflowers and native grasses are excellent lawn substitutes.
• Shrubs, perennials and ground covers use less water and provide a cool, green appearance.
• Place mulch around driveways or as paths.
• Expand outdoor-living areas by installing decks, patios and walkways.

5- Select Appropriate Plants

• Zone together plants with similar water and sunlight needs.
• Nurseries carry trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers that are low water-using.
• Install a variety of plants with different heights, colors and textures.
• Choose plants for their seasonal interest, including fall color and/or interesting berries, bark or seed heads.
• Check out Utilities' Xeriscape Plant List.

6- Use Mulch

• Cover planting areas with 2-4 inches of mulch to conserve soil moisture, control weeds and add interest to the landscape.
• Bark chips, shredded wood chips or pole peelings decompose and improve soil texture but need to be restored from time to time.
• Rock and gravel mulches are practical in windy spots and unplanted areas.
• Apply mulch directly to the soil surface or over a landscape fabric.
• Do not use black plastic; it prevents air and water from reaching plant roots.

7- Maintain It

• Check trees and shrubs for pruning needs once a year.
• Frequently prune flowering perennials to stimulate blooming.
• Mow grass when it is about 1/3 higher than the desired height.
• Leave clippings to recycle nutrients into the soil.

Before selecting plants, understand your site conditions such as soil type and drainage, sun exposure and proximity to supplemental water like irrigation, downspouts or hose bibs. Given this information, select the right plant for the right place by using local plant list resources such as our XIP-Approved Plant List (You can also view this interactive plant list with photos and filter options). All plants listed are suitable for our USDA plant hardiness zone (5b in Fort Collins), which relates to average freezing temperatures for our area.

Always group together plants with a similar water requirement to avoid under- or over-watering plants.

First, a little background. There are two general groups of grasses: warm-season and cool-season. See below for examples of each type.

Thinking about making the switch to warm-season grass?

Make sure it’s the right choice—warm-season grasses do not stand up to a lot of traffic and cannot handle shade. Make sure you are selecting a species that works well for your landscape.

Kill the existing grass—use a sod cutter to remove grass material completely, or kill the grass in place by solarizing with clear plastic or killing with chemicals.

Seed or plug--While seeds may be less expensive, plugs will cover an area faster. Either can be directly planted into existing dead grass.

Establishment watering--Whether seed or plug, your warm-season grasses need water to get started. Irrigate frequently enough to keep the soil moist but not muddy. As soon as the plants start rooting, begin to reduce the watering frequency. Overwatering will drown your plants and cause excessive weed growth.

Long-term watering—Wait for the grass to turn green before you start irrigating. Warm-season grasses require ¼ - ¾ ” of water per week during the summer.

Purchase mulch at any home improvement store, nursery or landscape supply yard. You can also pick up FREE mulch from the City of Fort Collins. Free mulch locations are at the Gardens on Spring Creek parking lot and at the Timberline Recycling Center.

If using drip irrigation, customize the size and number of emitters to water the recommended volume in one hour. Check the volume rate printed on the emitter, it is usually measured in gallons per hour (GPH).

If you are hand-watering, count the seconds it takes to fill a gallon-size jug with your garden hose. Hold the hose at each plant for the appropriate time.

2. Calibrate

Watch how your garden responds before and after watering events. If there are some plants that are drying out faster than others, add an additional or larger drip emitter. If others are getting flooded, goof plug a hole or two. The same applies to hand-watering.

3. Train the plants

After the first few weeks through the third year, when plants are likely established, reduce watering frequency. See how low you can go by year three—this could mean once a week or once a month, depending on the plant. Always check the soil moisture before irrigating to avoid overwatering.

Consider the following: If a drip irrigation system run for 15 minutes multiple times a week, the low volume of water stays in the top few inches of soil, incentivizing plant roots to only grow there.  Coincidentally, soil dries out most quickly in this area, causing the need for more frequent irrigation.

Instead, water deep and infrequently to encourage roots to grow further into the soil. Deeper roots increase drought tolerance in plants.

Once plants are established, enjoy. You have raised them right!