Trees are especially important in arid, urban environments like Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. They provide shade, mitigate urban heat, reduce greenhouse gasses and air pollution, and create wildlife habitat, among many other benefits. All trees, even climate-resilient and drought tolerant species, need to be watered adequately.
It’s worth the investment to keep our mature trees healthy. The mature trees on your property are worth much more than the cost of your treasured appliances and, yes, even more than your roof. Keeping our trees healthy and happy over their lifetime is a minimal investment and a valuable contribution to our community urban forest.
In Albuquerque, we tend to overwater our lawns and underwater our trees. It’s important to understand the basics of how best to water trees. For instance, a tree has two different main types of roots. The feeder roots lie within the first 6-24”of the ground, and the stabilizer roots can be at least 3’ deep You may think your trees’ roots can reach the water table, but you should think again — most of Albuquerque has a water table between 20 and 150 feet’ deep. Your roots are never getting that deep.
Due to the importance of our urban forest and how many people are seeking guidance on how to water their trees, the Bernalillo County Water Conservation Program, and Let’s Plant Albuquerque, partners collaborated to create this How to Build an Efficient Tree Watering System guide and the associated workshops.
The tree irrigation system is inexpensive, flexible, easy to install and long-lasting. It uses drip irrigation attached to your hose bib and can be easily expanded as your tree matures.
When assembling your system there are a few key parts to consider:
Teflon tape is needed to seal the threads at every connection to prevent water coming through.
Take note of the two different types of threads: hose threads and pipe threads. Hose threads are straight and require a washer to seal. Pipe and coupling threads are tapered for water use and will seal with just the application of Teflon thread seal tape.
Timers should be uninstalled and stored with the batteries removed over the winter. Some people like to install fresh batteries every spring to ensure there is no interruption during the growing season.
A pressure regulator is important for all drip systems due to the high pressure in our Albuquerque water lines. The regulator reduces the water pressure coming in from the main water supply. Then, it creates a constant low water pressure through the system, allowing the drip tubing to put out the correct volume of water per minute.
Distribution (lateral line) drip tubing comes in two general sizes, and each has advantages and limitations:
1/2” tubing is more common, and parts are available at big box stores. The run of distribution tubing must be less than 200 feet.
¾” tubing is available from irrigation supply stores. It holds pressure better, and tubing runs can be up to 600 feet.
Inline drip line (emitter line) drip tubing comes in two sizes and includes drip emitters pre-installed in the line every 6”, 12” or 18”.
½” Netafim inline dripline tubing for use around medium and large trees. Use 12” emitter spacing.
¼” Netafim inline dripline tubing for use around small trees. Use 6” emitter spacing.
A flush type of end cap is handy for flushing out the system at season start-up or if a break occurs. It is recommended to remove and store flush caps over the winter.
The watering guidance for the system was developed to not under or over water most trees in Albuquerque. However, irrigation is highly dependent on site conditions such as soil type and microclimate as well as the species of tree. This guidance is meant to be a rule of thumb or starting point, and adjustments should be made based on the local conditions and tree species.
Below are some of the factors that should be considered in generating a watering schedule for your yard:
Soils affect how often and how long you need to water — see the Water Authority’s Irrigation Guide for more details. In general, sandy soils require shorter but more frequent run times while clay soils need longer but less frequent run times.
Always check your plants to evaluate irrigation scheduling. Most plants will look a little bedraggled at 3 p.m. during the summer so check in the morning. Do they seem wilted or pale or have cupped leaves? These can be signs your tree needs more water.
Be aware that symptoms of overwatering and underwatering may look similar.
Occasionally, feel the soil the day after irrigating or use a soil probe such as a screwdriver or coat hanger to evaluate the level of moisture in the soil. If the probe is easy to push in and there is a swampy smell, the soil has too much water. If you can’t get the soil probe more than 4” into the soil, it’s too dry. Ideally, the soil probe can be pushed 12”-18” into the soil 24-48 hours after irrigating.
Consider what size tree you are trying to water. Check out the diagrams above and below to determine how much tube length you will need to meet the required water needs of your tree.
Sometimes you need help to create your perfect desert friendly landscape. Many times, this involves hiring a landscape contractor. The Water Utility Authority is committed to helping its customers. Below we share some tips to help you choose a landscape contractor.
It’s important to start with a to-scale landscape design plan. This may be done by a professional landscape architect or a landscape designer. Or perhaps you worked up your own design plan.
Hiring a landscape contractor requires research similar to what you would do when hiring any home repair contractor. It’s important to consider the following:
Is the contractor able to secure bonding and are they insured?
What are the contractor’s credentials (formal training, references, professional certification)?
Does the contractor belong to a local or national trade association and abide by its standards?
Does the contractor have a Water Smart Contractor listing through the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority?
The contractor should provide references for projects similar in size, scope and design so you can talk to previous customers about their experiences.
The contractor should share photographs of other projects you can check out.
Estimate/Bid and Contract
The contractor should provide you with a detailed, line-item estimate for the work. This will include the price of the materials, labor, taxes and permit costs if applicable. A detailed estimate will help you accurately compare pricing and services.
A signed estimate may act as the official contract, a legal requirement that will protect both you and the contractor if anything goes wrong.
What is the payment schedule? Most contractors will ask for anywhere from 30% to 50% up front so they can purchase materials. They should provide you with a general timeline or payment schedule.
How long will the construction take, and what does the sequencing/schedule look like?
How does the contractor manage additional work that may be added in the middle of the project and is not on the plan?
During and After Construction
Who will be the contractor’s point person, someone you can go to with questions? How will they communicate with you and how often?
How will the contractor handle variabilities that come up during construction?
What happens if there is a delay once construction has started?
The contractor should show you how to maintain the landscape after it is built and how to work the elements installed, such as the irrigation controller.
What are the warranties for the project? What do they cover and exclude?
Does the contractor provide troubleshooting support during the first year after installation?
One of the questions the Water Authority xeriscape inspector gets asked most often is how to inexpensively build a trellis for vines. You can make a DIY trellis from materials that are easy to find at your local hardware store. Off-the-shelf trellises can be expensive, and more than likely they are too small. Most homeowners are looking for a trellis to go next to a house or concrete block wall or to divide spaces. Below are two trellis options that will suit those needs.
Freestanding Trellis
Materials
4”x4” post (height according to specific project need)
42”x84” steel wire remesh sheet or welded wire mesh
12 fence staples
Asphalt emulsion waterproofing paint or spray paint
Concrete
Tools
Shovel or post hole digger
Hammer
Paint brush
Measuring tape
Level
Step by Step
Step 1: Dig holes for post.
Step 2: Apply waterproofing paint to the section of the posts that will be buried.
Step 3: Set post in hole. Measure and level post. Once leveled, fill the hole with concrete. If not using concrete, backfill with existing dirt, making sure dirt is compacted every four inches.
Step 4: Attach steel mesh to wood posts by hammering in fence staples.
Making sure post is the correct height and level. Concrete footing for post. Fence Staple
Trellis Attached to Concrete Block Wall
Materials
42”x84” steel wire remesh sheet or welded wire mesh
6 ¼” fender washers, 2” circumference
6 ¼” x 4” Blue Hex Head Tapcon® concrete screws
6 1” silicon or steel spacers
Tools
Drill with 3/16” concrete bit
Hammer drill
Measuring tape
Level
Step by Step
Step 1: Measure, level and mark locations to attach fasteners to the wall using wire mesh as a guide.
Step 2: Drill holes for the screws.
Step 3: Attach steel mesh to the concrete wall using suggested screws, washers and fasteners as shown in the diagram.
One of our favorite things to do at Bennu Organics is design container gardens. We like to talk about the “wow factor,” and containers are a fantastic way to add stunning, season-long color to our landscapes without digging a single hole in our hard, unforgiving soil.
Here are six helpful hints for creating your own successful container designs:
1) Location: Will the containers be in full sun, partial sun or full shade? In most cases, full sun containers in New Mexico require daily watering. If you don’t want to water every day, consider selecting plants that require less water, like succulents, cacti or perennials. Placing containers in partial shade will also save water. It’s important to know the amount of sunlight you will have available for each container prior to purchasing plants.
2) Size: What size are the containers, or what size do you want them to be if you’re purchasing them? You’ll need plenty of soil to fill or refresh the containers, and you want to make sure you have enough plant material to give your containers a nice, full look.
3) Design: Well-designed containers require three types of plants: thrillers, fillers and spillers. The thriller is something tall and showy, while fillers are shorter plants that fill in the spaces. Spillers are those low vining-type plants that spill gracefully over the sides of the container.
4) Color theme: I like picking a color palette and then selecting different plants within that palette. I don’t want my containers to be identical, but I do want them to complement each other. Also, depending on the locations of the containers, I will often do a “mirror image” design if the containers are on either side of an entry way, for example.
5) Lighting and water: Select plants that have similar lighting and water requirements. You don’t want to put a cactus as a thriller and wave petunias as your filler. One or both will suffer from too much or a lack of water.
6) Maintenance: Besides watering consistently, you will want to trim and deadhead your designs frequently. Petunias and calibrachoa (classified both as fillers and spillers) need regular deadheading to keep the blooms going strong. Trim them heavily when they get “leggy.” They respond well to a really good haircut. If you are consistent with your maintenance and watering, the containers should keep their “wow factor” all season long. Also, regular fertilizing is crucial to maintaining season-long blooms. In the active growing season, we fertilize our containers every two weeks.
While the following list of possible plants you can use in containers is hardly comprehensive, it should help get your creative juices flowing:
Shade/Part Shade
Thrillers: caladium, alocasia, sansevieria/dracaena, colocasia, cordyline, etc.
Fillers: bacopa, begonias, Boston fern, caladium, coleus, begonias, dusty miller, impatiens, etc.
Finally, your container designs should bring you joy, so get creative! What do you love? What are your goals? Do you want to attract hummingbirds and butterflies? Do you want fragrance? Do you want a color explosion, or are you looking for something more subdued? Your containers should reflect their designer, so pick things that you really enjoy — not just the plants you see on Pinterest or in magazines, although if you love the ones you see in those places, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Some people like to use all annuals, some like a combination of annuals and perennials and some even add edible plants into their designs. The sky is the limit!
As with all things related to plants, design and gardening, remember that everything we do is a grand experiment. Don’t feel guilty if you mistakenly combine a low-water plant and a high-water plant in the same container and one of them dies. Learn from your experience and simply replace the dead plant with something more suitable.
Edible garden landscapes need to have dedicated valves so they can be watered more frequently than our average desert-friendly landscapes. These landscapes should not be watered at the same time as the rest of the drip zones.
The key to growing the best quality produce, fruit-bearing trees, shrubs and vegetables is having a consistent watering schedule that is maintained until harvest. If you are unable to install a new irrigation valve for your edible garden, you can connect it to your hose spigot with a spigot irrigation timer. We recommend the smart versions of these timers. Rebates are available.
We recommend using ¼” polyline with inline drip emitter tubing. Drippers should be located every 6” along the tubing for irrigation in both raised beds and veggie rows. The drippers require no maintenance since they are installed within the polyline. Each dripper is engineered with a little bit of copper that kills off roots that try to grow into the dripline. They are easily connected to a ¾” polyline flexible irrigation supply line. Metal irrigation stakes help keep everything in place.
All these materials can be purchased at local irrigation stores. Drip irrigation is not only the most efficient way to water your edible garden but it is also very affordable.
Why is it important to compost? Between 30 and 50 percent of residential waste could be composted instead of put in a landfill, which would reduce the volume of trash and the production of greenhouse gas. Compost is nature’s way of recycling nutrients by using microbes to help break down organic material. The end result is a nutrient-rich soil amendment with an earthy aroma that improves soil and plant health and can eliminate the need for fertilizers.
If you have limited outdoor space for composting, consider the Bokashi bucket method or explore other options. There are also community-based composting programs in Albuquerque. To find a composting option in your area, simply enter “composting near me” into your Internet search engine.
The Four Required Elements for Backyard Bin Composting
Moisture (water) to sustain the microbial life
Nitrogen-rich materials, also referred to as “greens,” that heat up the compost pile to create ideal conditions for decomposition
Carbon-rich materials, or “browns,” that provide food for the microorganisms and help balance the green materials
Oxygen to maintain aerobic conditions necessary for the desired microbes
What Can be Composted?
Greens (Nitrogen)
Browns (Carbon)
Food and vegetable scraps
Dry leaves
Grass clippings and yard trim
Shredded straw or hay
Coffee grounds and paper filters
Shredded paper (non-glossy, not colored)
Paper tea bags
Shredded cardboard (no wax coating, tape or glue)
Eggshells
Sawdust
Bread and grains
Wood chips
Fruit or fruit peels (limit citrus)
Paper towels and towel rolls
Keep These Items Out of Your Compost
Meat, fish and bones
Dairy products
Pet waste or cat litter
Stickers left on produce
Fats, oils and greases
Aggressive weeds or weeds with seeds*
*Certain carefully-maintained compost techniques can kill seeds
How to Bin Compost
Collect and store materials. An easy way to collect food scraps (greens) is to use a dedicated, washable container that can be stored under the sink or on the counter. When preparing meals, place scraps into this container. To avoid smells and pests, store the container in your fridge or freezer until you are ready to build or add to your pile. Browns, like leaves and wood chips, can be collected throughout the year and set aside until needed.
Select a space and then build or buy a bin. Choose a space outside that is dry, shady, within reach of a watering hose and easily accessible. Next, build a compost bin system or purchase a three-bin system, barrel or tumbler.
Prepare your browns and greens. Break large items into smaller pieces to speed up the process and create a more uniform product.
Build your pile. Start your bin with a 4 to 6-inch layer of large-sized brown material like twigs and wood chips. Then, layer greens and browns like you’re making lasagna at a ratio of two parts brown to one part green. Finally, add water to dampen the compost pile so it is moist but not soaked. *Tip: Squeeze a handful of the compost. If a few drops fall, it is moist. If water streams out, it is too wet.
Maintain the pile. As the material begins to decompose, the temperature will rise. Turn and mix your compost pile every few weeks so the decomposition process is sped up. Monitor the bin for moisture (damp, but not dripping) and odor (earthy, not stinky), and troubleshoot as needed.
Cure and use the finished compost. When there are no visible food scraps (except small pieces of eggshell), allow the compost pile to cure (sit unturned) for at least four weeks. If well-maintained, the whole process will take about three to five months.
Whether you decide to use a bin system, vermicompost or a different method, you will be turning waste into compost that builds healthy soils and sequesters carbon. To learn more about composting in New Mexico visit NM Master Composters and the NM Healthy Soil Working Group. Visit the City of Albuquerque for more information on the city’s sustainability efforts and tips for food waste prevention.
