As you probably already know, different types of plants
require different amounts of water. A Kentucky bluegrass lawn, one of
the thirstiest and most common plants in Utah landscapes, about 25 inches
of water per year. Trees, shrubs and many other plants usually require
significantly less.
Knowing the water requirements of the various plants in
your landscape and grouping them together in the same irrigation zone
("hydrozoning") is the most efficient way to irrigate your landscape.
Click on the links below to learn more about the watering requirements
of your plants and why you should group them together:
Annuals and bedding plants generally don’t have time to
develop a sufficient root system before the season is over. Because of
this, annuals usually require about the same amount of water as your lawn.
This situation represents a scenario for hydrozoning. Because these
flowers and your lawn require approximately the same amount of water,
it is permissible to group annual or bedding plants on the same irrigation
zone as your lawn.
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Did you know that most trees and shrubs require about
half of the water of your lawn? Over-watering your trees and shrubs
can promote disease and shallow rooting, causing major maintenance problems
in the future.
In addition to needing less water, trees and shrubs should be scheduled
at a different interval. Trees and shrubs naturally have deeper roots
than your lawn. Watering for a longer amount of time, but less times per
week, will help water get all the way into the full root zone of your
plants. This watering method promotes healthier plants and a deeper root
system.
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| Perennials and Xeriscaping
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One characteristic of many perennials and Xeriscape
plants is their deep rooting system. These types of plants have evolved
to endure from year to year, and have thus established an extensive and
deep root zone.
In order to water your perennials and Xeriscape plants efficiently,
watering should be deeper and less frequent--similar to a schedule for
trees and shrubs, but shorter run times and more frequently.
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Putting grass and trees on the same irrigation
zone will cause you to over-water your trees, and could lead to disease
and other problems caused by excess water. Because water is not reaching
the extent of the root zone for the trees, this watering pattern promotes
shallow roots which could cause extensive landscape damage.
A general concept to remember is that you want to increase the run time
and decrease the interval between watering as the root depth of the plant
type gets deeper. The following graph is a conceptual representation of
this concept:
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