Blog | 505 Outside

Time to winterize – Prepare your landscape for winter

by 505 Outside | Nov 9, 2018 | Blog, Maintenance, Waterwise Tips, Winter

November is the time to prepare your landscape for winter. By following the simple recommendations outlined below, you can get your yard ready to endure the coming winter months so it can flourish next spring.

How do I prepare my plants for the winter season?

Turf grass:

Mow your lawn to a height of 1-2 inches. Grass left too long over the winter can develop brown patches.
Aerate the ground before it freezes. Aerating involves penetrating the lawn with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to reach the roots over winter. Power aerators are available to rent at your local home and garden center, or you can try a strap-on shoe aerator.
Remove fallen leaves from the lawn. These may cause damage to the grass if left over the winter.

All other plants:

Add mulch to existing plants. Mulch helps retain moisture and keeps the soil a more consistent temperature in the winter. When mulching trees, be sure to leave space around the trunk.

Do I need to water my plants in the winter?

Yes! In our area we recommend you continue to water your plants over the winter. But you won’t need to water as often. During the winter, soil retains water for longer periods because of the colder nights and shorter days.

You’ll want to pay attention to how much rain and snow you get in your yard each month. If it has rained more than ½ inch (or snowed more than 6 inches) in the last 4 weeks, then no need to water. If we are having a dry winter (less than ½ inch of precipitation in a month), then your yard is thirsty! Give it a drink.

When watering during the winter, we recommend you water during the warmest part of the day. Below is a chart with watering recommendations.

How much do I water my plants during the winter?

Plant Type	How often?	How deep?
Trees	1 time a month	24 inches
Shrubs	1 time a month	18 inches
Flowering plants	1 time a month	12 inches
Desert accents	none	none
Groundcover	1 time a month	12 inches
Grass: turf	2 times a month	6 inches
Grass: ornamental	1 time a month	12 inches
Vines	1 time a month	18 inches

How do I know how deeply I’m watering my plants?

Testing soil moisture with a long screwdriver.

Use a soil probe or a long screwdriver to test soil moisture. Push the screwdriver into the soil about an hour after you’ve watered your plants. It will go easily into moist soil. Mark and measure how far it went into the ground. That will tell you how deep you have watered that plant. Every yard is different, but once you figure out how long it takes your watering system to water to certain depths, you’ll be set.

Winterize your irrigation system

In a climate where winter temperatures can get below freezing, it may be advisable to “winterize” your irrigation system in order to avoid damage. If water is left in pipes, valves and sprinkler heads during freezing temperatures, that water may expand. You can imagine the results.

The steps you should take to prepare your irrigation system for winter depend on a lot of factors, but the overall goals for winterizing are the same for most systems:

Shut-off valve with sprinkler valve key.

Shut off the water supply to your irrigation system

Locate your shut-off valve (often hidden in a 3” PVC pipe; sometimes this pipe has a white or yellow cap on it as shown in the photo) and turn it to the right to shut it off

Controller set to the "off"position.

2. Turn off the irrigation system controller (if you have one)

Leave your controller plugged in to save programming information for next year
Turn the controller dial to OFF.

Flush Cap at the end of a drip system.

3. Drain the water from all pipes, valves, and sprinkler heads

There are several ways to drain your system. Manual drain valves, automatic drain valves, are blown out with compressed air. This should be left to trained professionals.
Local irrigation specialists can be hired to help.
If you have an irrigation system with drip hoses, we recommend you locate the end cap (flush cap) of the drip hose and drain out the water.

Don’t forget – hose bibs (or faucets located on the outside of your house) can also freeze. Make sure that water to your hose bibs is shut off. Remove any hoses that are connected to hose bibs, and turn on the faucet to allow any trapped water to drain out. On warm winter days, you may want to turn the water back ON in order to water with a hose.

Desert friendly Design Templates

by 505 Outside | Oct 2, 2018 | Blog, Design

Planting Tips for Raised beds

by 505 Outside | Aug 2, 2018 | Blog, Edibles, Planting, Planting Tips

Many homeowners are interested in planting in raised beds. It can be great for homeowners who worry about their soil. Planting in raised beds allows you to add the exact soil you want. Another popular reason is the interesting visual element the raised bed will provide in your yard. A few other tips about planting in raised beds are listed below.

Planting desert accents, like agave and prickly pear, in raised beds gives them the good drainage they prefer. It allows leaf litter from nearby plants to collect at the base of the bed instead of between the prickly leaves and stems making it much easier to maintain.
When planting in raised beds always remember to include at least 3″ of an organic mulch. Organic mulches help to retain moisture around plant materials. This prevents water waste.
Don’t forget to plan out your irrigation system prior to installing your raised bed. You may find you’ll need to plan in some openings to bring the irrigation up into the bed.
We recommend installing drip irrigation for raised beds. It will provide just the right amount of water to your plants and decrease the likelihood of over watering your garden.

Summer Blooming Lavender

by 505 Outside | Aug 2, 2018 | Blog, Planting, Planting Tips, Pollinators and Wildlife, Summer

The genus Lavandula is a favorite group of ornamental herbs native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. These are sun-loving plants that thrive in hot weather and grow well in the West in a wide range of soils, even compost-enriched garden loams, as long as they are well drained. Heavy, poorly drained clay soils can be fatal to lavenders.

In spring, before the plants begin to show signs of new growth, cut back the old stems by one-third to

re-invigorate the plant and encourage a good show of summer flowers. Lavender plants require two to three growing seasons to reach mature size.

The two major groups of Lavenders include the English Lavenders (L. angustifolia varieties) and the Lavandins (L. x intermedia varieties), which are hybrids between English lavender and another species, Lavandula latifolia. Generally speaking, the English lavenders have the deepest flower color, while the Lavandins are taller plants with larger flowers and longer flower stems.

The English lavenders are often preferred as a source of dried flowers while the Lavandins are typically used for oil production, potpourris and lavender wands.

Flower Fitness

by 505 Outside | Aug 2, 2018 | Blog, Planting, Planting Tips, Spring, Summer

Many flowers will bloom longer or bloom again after a short rest if the spent flower stems are removed once the blossoms fade.

Wildflowers such as Penstemon may be longer-lived if the spent flower stems are removed before the plants put energy into producing seeds.

Unwanted self-sowing can also be prevented by cutting back plants after they bloom but before they form seeds.

Flowers in habitat gardens may be allowed to set seeds to provide food for wildlife and cut back after the banquet is over.

An extra deep watering or two may keep plants in bloom longer, especially if the weather has been hot and windy with little rain.

Creating Habitats That Attract Wildlife

by 505 Outside | Aug 2, 2018 | Blog, Planting, Planting Tips, Pollinators and Wildlife

There are several garden amenities that both wildlife and people find especially important:

Layers of planting from tall tree canopies to low- growing groundcovers. The protection of dense vegetation in some areas and open spaces in others: groups of shrubs, flowers and grasses of different heights clustered along the edges of open space. A diverse community of plants with colorful, fragrant, nectar-rich flowers, edible fruits and seeds.

The cooling presence of water — a small water feature, especially one located in a shady spot that trickles water into a covered reservoir so evaporation is minimized, will attract wildlife and people without wasting water.

Gardens that serve wildlife are maintained a bit differently:

Bird seed and nectar feeders should be refilled and cleaned regularly.

Nectar and seed-producing plants provide sustenance with a modest amount of water and seasonal pruning/dead-heading after the birds have taken all the food.

Learn to manage with little or no pesticide use, which is good for your health and your pets as well as that of your wild guests.

Occasionally wash away bird droppings (free fertilizer—think of it as their way of saying thanks).

Weed out some plants that germinate too successfully after being processed by our feathered friends.