Water is a key component to Xeric landscaping. Thinking about ways to reduce the area that is watered regularly involves planning. To do this, a landscaping design called Hydrozoning has been developed. With this design, the landscape is divided into areas of differing water needs.
The Hydrozone system has three different zones with different water needs.
Zone one is often called the oasis area. It is the area that is seen most, it includes our lawn, and is where we live outdoors. Some of it is close to the house and can take advantage of water run-off from the roof and faucets. It is also the most colorful part of the landscape and will require the most maintenance.
Zone two is called the transition zone and has a moderate water use. These are areas that are in view but further away from high vision areas. Usually this includes the front of the house. It contains plants that require less frequent irrigation and usually less maintenance.
Zone three is a low water use zone. This area will need no water or very infrequent irrigation and only during prolonged dry spells. Zone three is the areas of the yard that do not get a lot of traffic and are not near water sources such as the sides of the house, back edge of your land and includes any area that is hard to water. It important to know that even very drought tolerant plants need water during the first year or two while their roots are getting established.
An efficient irrigation system is an integral part of planning your landscape. The way most watering systems are set up is that all the plants receive water on a timer or manually. Perhaps you water your plants by hand. If you are looking at your plants as being in Zone one, two, or three, you will revise your watering. If they are all given the same amount of water, the thirsty plants won’t have enough and the Zone three plants will suffer if given too much water. Not everyone will have the money to put in drip lines, bubblers, and micro-spray systems but there are things that can be done:
• Water that runs off roofs and paving can be directed to oasis areas or zone three areas to decrease the need for supplemental irrigation.
• Water lawn with a sprinkler in the early morning or evening when the wind is down and the sun is not beating down.
• Mulch provides a cover for bare areas. It limits weed growth and keeps the soil moister
• Place rocks in your garden and put your plants to the north and east side of them. They benefit from the shade of the rock when they are small and hold in moisture near the plant as they grow.
• If your soil is very compacted, loosen it up around your plants. They grow better when they have better air exchange.
You can access more information on the internet, your local library, or your county extension office.
Edith Iwan is a Cibola-McKinley County Master Gardener who lives and works in Thoreau. As a Master Gardener she assists the County Cooperative Extension Service in providing accurate, researchbased gardening information to county residents. If you have any gardening questions, please call the NMSU Cibola County Extension at 505-287-9266 or NMSU McKinley County Extension at 505-863-3432