Landscape Irrigation without the Numbers – Step one.

Step 1) Discovering your watering rate:

Basically in step one, we want to figure out how many minutes it takes your system to wet the root zone of your plants.

First we need to let your yard or garden dry out a bit.

Then you will water it once for the normal amount of time.

Then you will measure the depth of the wetted area under your plants.

Let the soil in your yard or garden dry out for the regular interval between irrigation cycles, plus maybe one or two extra days. Watch your plants carefully. You may need to hand water certain plants, especially your pots and containerized plants that begin to stress.

When you are satisfied the ground is dry, or when many of your plants are beginning to wilt, turn your irrigation system back on manually for one cycle. Everything should get the normal drink of water. If your plants normally get 30 minutes, run it for 30 minutes. The best time to do this is early in the morning or just after the sun sets. Wait about an hour after the normal watering cycle is finished, then grab your soil probe. You are going to gently push it into the soil about 4” - 6” away from the drip emitter or bubbler of each plant. Remember, I said gently.

**** But first, a word of caution. ****

Every yard has utility lines, water, electric, phone, cable TV, natural gas and sewer. Add to that, landscape irrigation pipe and hoses, pool piping, landscape lighting, electrical for outdoor kitchen, patios, fountain pumps, drainage line, etc. Anytime you dig or push a soil probe into the ground, you should understand where these things are and take proper precautions not to hit any of them. There is a chance that you could make contact with an electrical line and receive a lethal electrical shock. Never use a hammer or anything to drive or pound your soil probe into the ground. Also make sure your probe is rounded or blunt on the tip. This way, if you do bump a drip line or pipe, your probe will probably slide off rather then puncture or cut the line.

Always call before you dig or excavate! Arizona Blue Stake will mark your utility lines in your yard for free.

The soil will be wet so the probe should push in easily. My wife can do this with one hand. If you have very little hand and arm strength, you might need to use two hands, but be careful. If the probe doesn’t go into the soil easily, don’t force it. You can move to the other side of the plant and try it, or move to another plant and try it again. I have been using soil probes for a very long time and I have never damaged anything. However, I use them very gently as if I expect I might hit a drip hose or pipe.

When the probe hits dry soil, it will be become harder to push it down. Don’t force it. You are measuring the depth of the wet soil only. Hold your finger, or mark your probe at ground level and then pull it out. This is the depth of the wet zone or soil reservoir your irrigation system has provided for your plant.

The 1, 2, 3 rule works well for mature plant root zones. Here in the desert, ground covers have a root zone about 1 foot deep. Shrubs feeder roots will usually run about 2 feet deep. Tree feeder roots usually run about 3 feet deep. Lawns should be watered to about 8”.

Adjust your timer till you have the right wetted depth for most of your plants. You don’t have to be perfect, just get close and write down your results. I usually make a simple drawing with the wetted depth for each plant along with the number of minutes used on the timer. This is very close to the amount of minutes you will use to irrigate each given zone or valve.

Don’t go out and buy a bunch or drip emitters and try to balance each plant just yet. In the next step we will talk about proper wetting of the entire root zone and balancing the water rate at each plant. You may need to change or add some emitters in this next step. That will be when you can go out and buy stuff.

Work through your watering depths and check back here for Step 2. Wetting the Root Zone.

Landscape Watering by the Numbers

Ok, it’s mid July and the Monsoons haven’t made much of an appearance yet. Recently we’ve had the hottest days of the year (so far) and some of your plants are probably looking a little sick. Many of us actually over-water this time of year because we worry about our plants out there suffering in this heat. So, in the spirit of hot air and since July is now Officially National Smart Irrigation Month, here is the beginning of a series on how to water your plants.

There are some pretty good guides and pamphlets out there that cover the subject very well.

This is the best pamphlet I’ve seen so far and you can download a PDF here.

The problem is these guides take time and to read and follow and we are all busy, right? Sometimes it’s just easier to add more time to the controller. And so this is how it happens that people get big water bills and many times sick plants from over watering.

Would you like a quick start guide? OK!

I have a fairly simple process that is part of a program I use on almost all of the properties where I manage the Landscape Irrigation. I have developed this process because everyone’s yard, garden and landscape is unique. Every yard is a micro-climate all its own. Plus the irrigation system is almost always different too. Sometimes they need some work, but I’ll cover that in another article.

However, the goal is almost always the same. We must deliver just enough water to wet the root area of the plant plus just a tiny bit of extra. Then to let the root zone dry a bit, then repeat. I’ll show you how to do that in your yard in three steps.

You will need a soil probe for this process. I think every gardener should have one. It doesn’t have to be spiffy. A very long screw driver or a piece of rebar with a point on one end works great. A three foot long soil probe is best, but a 24” probe can work. I use an old piece of rebar with a “T” welded to one end and grind stripes every 6”.

Here is a picture mine. It’s old and not real trendy.

You don’t need a “T” on the end. Rebar bent to an “L” on the end will also work great. I think almost any hardware store that sells rebar, sells shorter pieces and can bend an “L” on one end for you. Concrete installers use bent rebar all the time to brace concrete slabs. Very long screw drivers are cooler looking but they can be expensive.

**** A word of caution. ****

My soil probe is all metal. Yours doesn't have to be all metal. I have used all metal soil probes for many years without a problem. Used properly, they are about as safe as any other tool. However, there is a chance you or I could make contact with an electrical wire, conduit, irrigation line, sewer line, or water line that has been buried in your yard. There is a chance you could come into contact with a lethal amount of voltage. If you decide to use a soil probe of any kind, use it at your own risk. Never use a hammer or anything else to drive of force your soil probe into the ground.

In the next article, I will cover the proper use of a soil probe. Used properly, I believe they are about as safe as any other tool. There are some really cool soil probes on-line that range from $80. on up. There are a number with fiberglass shafts that should insulate you in the event you strike a high voltage line on your garden.

So go find one in the garage, build one or buy one and then come back for step one.

Will the REAL Mexican Bird of Paradise, please stand up?

I was thinking of Blooming Tuesday and set off on my morning appointment with camera in tow. Lots of plants are blooming in Phoenix right now and one of the most colorful are the Caesalpinia pulcherrima. So much color!

Notice the flower color and the leaf size.

Some of you right now are thinking, “Oh yeah, the Mexican Bird of Paradise. I love those”. Well guess what? This isn’t a Mexican Bird of Paradise. This is the actually the “Red” Bird of Paradise.

The distinctive element that separates this Caesalpinia from the others is the red flower color. Hence the common name, Red Bird. It grows to about 6’ and is root hardy to about 15 degrees. Although it likes to be cut back to 8” to 12” annually in the winter or very early spring.

There is a Pulcherrima “Yellow” Hybrid which makes it even more confusing. You'll see why shortly.

Since the Red Bird and Yellow Hybrid look pretty much dead or frost burned in the winter months, you will want to place it near or behind something that will be prominent during that time of year. I like to place them three or four feet behind boulders. Planting these right next to a sidewalk like above, probably isn’t the best location.

There are actually four Caesalpinias that are popular here in the Phoenix area; all of them are beautiful but, slightly different. Here is the next one.

This is Caesalpinia Mexicana

Again notice the flower color and leaf size.

The Caesalpinia Mexicana, the real Mexican Bird of Paradise is a larger plant, has larger leaves and can be pruned into a small tree up to about 12’ or 15’, is hardy to 18 degrees, and is a native to Mexico. Hence the name, Mexican Bird of Paradise. You can even buy them in 24” and 36” box containers now that the tree form has become more popular.

You can see some great examples of the “Mexican” bird of Paradise in the shopping center parking strip on the north east corner of Tatum and Shea. Hopefully they haven't been hacked up by an eager maintenance person.

One interesting use is in a partially shaded oriental garden. The Mexicana adapts well to shade and opens up into a beautifully delicate and graceful patio tree. This is the best I could do for a picture as this one hasn't been pruned and cleaned up. However you can see how the Mexicana responds to limited sun and how it will fit into a tight spot. The more shade the more open and to me, more graceful it will become.

Curiously enough some of you right now might actually be saying, Oh yeah, the Cascalote, I love that tree. Well guess what? This isn’t a Cascalote. Funny isn’t it. The Cascalote or Caesalpinia cacalaco is a slightly larger tree yet.

As you can see, they look very similar to the Mexicana. The leaves are a bit larger yet (impossible to see here), and the flower looks virtually the same, which is probably the reason for the confusion. However, if you look closely you will notice the bark is bumpy, thorny, and darker. Sort of a reddish-brown. They grow slowly to about 20’ or maybe a bit larger and are hardy to about 20 degrees, slightly more frost sensitive then the Mexicana.

There is another Caesalpinia and it is just as beautiful in its own way. The Caesalpinia gilliesii or Desert Bird of Paradise.

Again, notice the flower structure and color.

You can see this plant is similar in size to the Red Bird but, more open and graceful. The flower is yellow but, with very prominent red stamens. It grows to about 8’, is root hardy to 15 degrees and is a native to Argentina. Like the Red Bird, it likes to be cut back annually and re-grows fairly quickly.

I’m told that all parts of this plant are toxic. I don’t have any direct experience with this issue so I can’t advise you. People do grow and love the Gilliesii. Similarly I have heard that Oleander is said to be poisonous. However, I have planted, trimmed, pruned and probably even inhaled lots of it without a problem. I’m not sure how exactly the toxic issue with the Gilliesii manifests, but be warned, just the same.

All of the Caesalpinia are low water users and adaptable to part shade conditions. They like well drained soil so they are happy in the rocky and sandy soils found around greater Phoenix. The Mexicana and the Cascalote can make a great patio area tree in tight back yards, side yards and even entry ways. They are happy planted in full sun or part shade. Don’t expect everyone you talk to will know the difference. But you will.

On My Drawing Board – Phase One.

I know this might bore some of you. This article isn’t about beautiful flowers and plants or stunning design, but it is about what to expect during the installation process.

Ok, so in the last post we had and approved design and we had already selected and scheduled contractors for the demolition, the concrete work and the irrigation system. If you remember there were some Bermuda grass patches and probably lots of Bermuda roots just waiting for an irrigation system to sprout new grass all over the place. The home owners didn’t want to wait to kill the Bermuda first since it can take over a month to kill it correctly. They wanted a patio and a lawn for their little boy to enjoy ASAP.

A word about Bermuda grass.

Normally we kill the Bermuda first because it is so much more difficult to kill after the plants and gravel are installed as you can see in this photo above. In there somewhere is a Red Lantana. Bermuda grass is very tenacious stuff. Just because it is brown doesn’t mean it is dead. It can wait in a dormant state for a very long time and green up with watering in 7 to 10 days. Also, Bermuda that has been worn away on the surface still has productive roots waiting for moisture below the surface. The process is detailed here and you may want to consider bio-remediation afterward to “normalize” the Glyphosate you will be applying to your soil.

Again, since this project will be phased to fit the home owner’s budget, the Bermuda can be killed while we wait for phase two to begin.

Project Phasing.

A project can be phased in order to fit a customers financial situation. You can still have a beautiful yard, it just takes a little longer. Sometimes a customer would really like to have a $10,000 or $15,000 yard, but they only have maybe $5,000 or $8,000 to spend right now. A Master Plan can be developed with a phased installation in mind. Then the project can be installed in two or three phases to fit the customers comfort zone. The Master Plan will help make sure everything fits together when the job is complete and no work is somehow duplicated.

There are three basic issues to consider; what the customer wants right away, any element that might be covered or blocked or destroyed by later work, and or course the current available budget. Obviously demolition comes first, then traditionally underground elements like drainage, irrigation, electrical and gas lines can be considered for installation. Then comes the concrete footings, patio surfaces and structures. I like to install 2” diameter sleeves under the concrete slabs, curbs and footings and use them for irrigation access later. This way I can wait on the irrigation system till the last phase if I need to.

In this case, the customer wants a patio and a lawn as soon as possible so the job order will be:

Demolition - Concrete work- Irrigation System - Kill the Bermuda.

Above you can see the yard has been pretty much cleaned out. The demo crew still needs to remove another load of trash, but we have the concrete crew setting forms already. The concrete contractor was eager and offered to include the curbing free if we used him for the patios. YES!

Form setting is all about levels and lasers. You can see the laser level on the tripod to the left above. The forms may look hap-hazard, but they are not at all. The top of the boards are the top of the new concrete patio and curbing. The new concrete patios will have a very slight slope so water will run off away from the house.

Here we see the finished concrete after it has cured for a couple of days. I’ve set flags for the drip emitters and the irrigation crew has set the emitters and tree rings in place. The tree holes have been started for 24” boxed trees. The irrigation system is simple but efficient.

The red flags are where a 2 gallon per hour emitter will be placed. The white flag designates a 1 gallon drip emitter. The tree rings have multiple emitters placed at about a 2' interval. These rings of tubing will be placed at the outside edge of the root ball of the tree. Later it will be easily moved to the "Drip line" or canopy edge of the tree as it grows and matures.

Here you can see the tubing looped in the fountain area. Eventually there will be plants and annual flowers planted around the fountain so we'll have to have irrigation ready. The new lawn area has been graded and is ready for soil and sod. Sprinklers with MP rotator nozzles have been set and are ready to go. Now to kill the Bermuda.

The irrigation system here is simple but an efficient design with excellent quality components. I’ll cover all the pieces of an efficient irrigation system in the next installment.

On My Drawing Board

I thought I would post about some of the current design work that has passed over my drawing board this season. This job is just beginning the demo phase so I can show you pictures of the installation as it progresses. This is a smaller job with a conservative budget. Nothing super fancy here. The clients have a new son and would like to spend more time in a nice backyard.

As you can see the house is sort of a ranch style. The front is simple and fits the rest of the neighborhood. Hands off, Bill. The job is in back.

Here are a couple of general pictures of the yard.

The grass has been stressed and warn in places. There is a sprinkler system,but it obviously doesn't work well. The trees look like they aren't getting any water either. However, the Austrailian Bottle trees look fine. Here is a good argument for Hydo-zoning. The practice of seperating plants and trees by water need rather then by location. Imagine if all these trees were on one irrigation zone (they probably were). The water to the bottle trees would be wasted while you tried to keep the citrus happy.

The clients would like a complete redesign. Bulldoze it and start over. Good call!

While walking the yard the first things to look for when walking into a remodel are utilities lines. The most dangerous lines are the ones added by the homeowner or previous owner. Below is the existing and poorly designed irrigation system. Now we know why the citrus is sick and the lawn is dieing.

The next thing is drainage, where does the water go when the monsoon hits. This yard drains to the back fence. This could be an issue. Write it down and move to the next observation. Circulation and access; where do people come from and where do they go? What kind of equipment can we use here? The shed blocks the beautiful RV gate. We’ll need to move it. Next we look at view lines and privacy. Cactus Road is just behind the back fence so we could use some screening.

The husband tells me he envisions a Corona commercial for his back yard design theme. A hammock is mandatory. The wife would like more of a southern garden theme, the plantation style. The first thing I think of is the French Colonial influence in our southern states and the Bahamas. A French Plantation theme! But, before I get too excited, I need a budget reality check. Budget constraints on this job will keep us conservative and require us to phase this project into two or three installations. Access needs to be openned up on the west side. The east side needs to contain the dogs. A natural screen and sound baffle is needed accross the back. And we need to insert as much Southern Comfort as possible. Not the beverage, thank you.

Ok, I envisioned the stereotypical southern plantation driveway here. But without the drive. Large majestic trees (Chinese Elms) line and contain the lawn area where children can play. The little circles you may be able to make out under the trees are up-lights. This yard will be stunning at night. But that is phase two. The patio is extended for Mom and Dad to enjoy and a fountain tames some of the road noise. The small patio at the top of the page is a gazebo area with the little portable fire pit you may have noticed in one of the pictures above. It is difficult to see in this scanned image, but a white fence like you would see at a Caribbean plantation or resort separates the dog run to the east and the RV access to the west. The little square to the left is a grass patch the client requested for the dogs. To the right you can see I’ve really opened up the access for an RV, boat or whatever and I’ve moved the shed to the south west corner. I really like this simple design, but most importantly the clients loved it, too. They didn’t want to change a thing.
I’ll upload more in a day or two as the job progresses

The Spring Rush and Web 2.0

Wow, I've been pretty much over run with work. This is a good thing anytime, but especially this year. We all know why. However, it's been a month since I posted an article here and originally the goal was at least one post a week. Sorry I wasn't able to keep all my plates spinning.

A reality check is in order! Originally I wouldn't have considered posting anything here that I didn't design or build or at least photograph myself. But, this takes a lot of time to create an article from my own files and find or take pictures. Time that I don't always have. I guess I'll have to come down off my high horse a little.

This also limits the topics and discussions to things I've designed or built. Frankly, there are a lot of great topics and emerging ideas I have no direct experience with. Why limit this blog to me when there are so many talented Landscape Designers and Landscape Architects out there? Answer: I shouldn't. I have a website, Inspired Landscape Creations (right now being updated) where my company and my work can be showcased exclusively.

My Blog will be a platform for discussion and an exchange of information pertaining to residential landscaping. A way for me to pass on information to former clients and home owners to hopefully make designing, installing, and maintaining your gardens more enjoyable. Not to mention figuring out some of the technology, new and old. Sound good? I think so.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.

Bush Morning Gloriousness

Is this not Glorious? Photo: George & Audry Delange

This month has been so busy, lots of Garden shows and activities. I almost didn’t make my plant of the month post. For March it has to be Convolvulus cneorum or Bush Morning Glory. They are blooming gloriously right now.

Clients always ask me about them in March. “What are those beautiful plants with all the white flowers”? I want to say, “Ask me again in a month”. But they won’t because the poor little Bush Morning Glory will be only a memory. It only flowers for about a month and turns into a humble little silvery ground cover in short order.

Then there is the issue of rabbits. Rabbits love Convolvulus and they love new Convolvulus the best. They will hop right by everything else in your yard. That’s not to say they won’t eat anything else, they just won’t miss your Bush Morning Glory. So as spring brings flowers to Bush Morning Glory and retail nurseries sell lots of them, the waskley wabbits get fed and the circle of life continues. Chicken wire and Blood Meal helps if you aren’t into the circle of life thing.

On the good side of the ledger for Convolvulus cneorum; It is definitely a low water use plant, and it loves full sun all day. It is a native to the Mediterranean, Sicily, Croatia, and North Africa and it thrives in dry, sandy, well-drained alkaline soil. Butterflys enjoy Bush Morning Glory. It will grow moderately to about 4’ wide and 2’ – 2 1/2’ tall with very little drop or litter.

Designers like Bush Morning Glory not for the flowers, but for the silvery foliage that it displays the other 48 weeks of the year. Plant BMG near anything purple like Leucophyllum, Reullia, or Lantana. It looks good under any of the darker Bougainvillea including the Torch Glow or other red-ish plants like Callistemon x 'Little John'. The silvery leaves and texture go very will with Olive trees and Sophora Secundiflora. It looks absolutely stunning as a short hedge under an Olive for a manicured Tuscan look, just make sure you place it out about 3’ – 4’ out from the trunk. Again in a Tuscan Garden, mix it with Myrtle of other greens for a dramatic silver accent. Try it in a Moon garden. The silvery leaves, not to mention the white flowers during March, make it a great choice. I'll be starting a Moon Garden design next week and BMG will definitely be included. By itself, you might want to consider massing to bring it into prominence.

It's a great little plant that doesn't get placed correctly very often so it usually goes unnoticed till late February and March.