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Making your own compost at home provides two great benefits. It’s a great way to recycle your yard clippings and kitchen scraps, and the end result of the process provides free mulch for your plants. Our Arizona summer is just around the corner, and placing compost or other organic mulches on the surface of plant roots is one great way to get your landscape through this long, hot, dry season.

A two to four inch layer of organic mulch will help keep roots cooler, retain soil moisture, reduce weed growth, improve soil structure, and increase nutrient holding abilities of the soil. Compost or other organic mulches can reduce plant water needs by as much as 30%, and best of all, if you are composting, you are diverting waste from the landfill that would produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

When installing new plants, place compost or mulch on the surface of the root zone after planting and then top with rock or granite. Because mulch breaks down very quickly here due to the heat, it is a good idea to replenish organic mulches around existing plants once or twice each year.

Here are our favorite tips to share for successful composting in the desert:

• Check with your City/Town and see if they offer recycled trash barrels as composting containers.
• Place your composter near a water source so you can occasionally wet it down to speed up decomposition.
• Add some helpful ingredients to your compost pile like coffee grounds (check with your local coffee-house) or horse manure (check with local stables).
• Keep mulches about three to four inches from the trunk or stem, since too much moisture against the bark can cause damage.

Composters, hard at work: Cities may offer recycled trash barrels as compost containers. Photo by Pam Perry

If you’re unsure how to get started, then you can’t miss Mesa’s March Living Green Workshop titled Composting as Easy as One-Two, March 13th at 1:30 p.m. at the Dobson Branch Library, 2425 S. Dobson Road in Mesa. Or you can learn easy steps to turn green waste into mulch from the City of Mesa’s March $ustainability $avings Tip (PDF).

Carol turning compost: Turning the material to aerate aids the decomposition process. Photo by Pam Perry

Mesa is one of seventeen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs from the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page. You can also check out all of our outdoor water saving links on our Water – Use It Wisely local resources page.

Compost: Turn your kitchen scraps into rich mulch. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

February is a great time to plant in the low desert as temperatures are still cool and roots can get established before the heat sets in. Whether planting an entire landscape or just replacing lost plants, hundreds of desert plants are available for just about any function in your landscape. Would you like to attract birds or butterflies to your yard? Desert plants are up for the challenge! Perhaps you are looking for year-round color, or maybe a living fence or a cool, shady retreat?

This hybrid palo verde shows two desert adaptations - small leaves are more water efficient and a green stem and trunk allow the tree to photosynthesize and make food even if dry conditions cause the leaves to drop. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

Each low-water-use plant can save you up to 550 gallons a year.

Silvery leaves of the brittlebush help the leaves reflect sunlight and stay cooler. After blooming, many native birds feed on the seeds. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

By selecting plants that are well adapted to our desert climate you’ll have less maintenance and more time and money while enjoying a more attractive landscape. Learn plant selection tips and how plants provide many functions for the landscape from the City of Mesa’s February $ustainability $avings Tip (PDF). You may also want to attend Mesa’s February Living Green Workshop titled Landscape Plants for Shade, Color & Wildlife on Saturday, February 13th at 1:30 p.m. at the Mesa Main Library, 64 E. First Street.

Leaf hairs reflect sun and help maintain leaf moisture on this fragrant native desert lavender. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

Mesa is one of seventeen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs from the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page. You can also check out all of our landscape plants and Xeriscape links, including rebates available on our Water – Use It Wisely local resources page.

Hesperaloe blooms not only attract hummingbirds, but also native birds like this verdin. Photo by U.A. Sinclair

A painted lady butterfly finds nectar to drink on blooming sand verbena wildflowers. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

Colorful penstemons are always a magnet for hummingbird. Photo by Jeff Lee

Rainfall amounts may be minimal here in the low desert, but harvesting rainwater to channel to your landscape plants can be well worth the effort–especially with state tax credits available. Over 7,000 gallons of water a year can be harvested from the rooftop and other surfaces around a typical home. Rainwater is free and contains lots of minerals and nutrients that will boost plant growth. Learn how you can harvest multiple benefits with rainwater collection from the City of Mesa’s January $ustainability $avings Tip(PDF). You may also want to attend Mesa’s January Living Green Workshop titled Harvesting Rainwater for Your Landscape(PDF) on Saturday, January 9th at 1:30 p.m. at the Red Mountain Branch Library, 635 N. Power Rd.

Mesa is one of seventeen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs from the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page. You can also check out all of our rainwater harvesting links, including tax credit information on our Water – Use It Wisely local resources page.

Visiting a xeriscape, or low-water-use, demonstration garden is an excellent way to get new and innovative ideas for your home landscape. You won’t have to travel far, as many of the Water – Use It Wisely partners feature unique demonstration gardens located throughout the Valley. To see a list of over 15 demonstration gardens throughout Arizona, visit http://wateruseitwisely.com/region/arizona/links-and-resources/demonstration-gardens/

At xeriscape demonstration gardens, you’ll get the opportunity to see interesting plant combinations and plants at their mature size. Discover creative ways to use low-wateruse plants and conserve water resources and save money at the same time. Be sure to bring a notepad and camera, for your garden visit!

Many xeriscape gardens have signage and guided tours that can help you identify the plants. Visit the Glendale Xeriscape Demonstration Garden on Saturday, November 7th from 9 to 11 a.m. for a guided tour with Water Conservation staff and learn about the unique adaptations that allow water efficient plants to survive and thrive in the low desert. A listing of guided tours or workshops offered by the Water – Use It Wisely Partners can be found on our calendar.

Glendale Xeriscape Demonstration Garden

Peoria Desert Fusion Garden

Tempe Xeriscape Demonstration Garden

Chandler Xeriscape Demonstration Garden

Temperatures are going down and your landscape’s need for water is going down too. Adjusting your irrigation timer to match your plants’ seasonal water needs is an efficient way to save water while maintaining healthy plants.

Knowing how much water your plants need is as important as knowing how to program your controller. Why? Because more landscapes suffer from overwatering, not underwatering, especially in the winter. Plants need the least amount of water when the temperature is cool and evaporation rates are low. If your irrigation timer is programmed to deliver the same amount of water as it did in the summer months, your plants may be getting too much water! Figure out how long and how much to water your plants by utilizing the on-line Landscape Watering by the Numbers guide.

Not into reading instructions? Here is a smart option for you. Valley cities host various free workshops on topics such as programming your irrigation timer, plant care, plant selection, and installing and repairing your irrigation system. Visit the on-line calendar on the Water – Use it Wisely home page to see workshops that are available in your area.

The fall planting season has arrived! Temperatures are cooler, and it’s a great time to replace plants you may have lost during the hot summer.

Why is fall planting so good for plants? Soil temperatures are still warm, encouraging root growth and development and allowing plants to get much better established before next summer’s heat sets in. Also, with cooler temperatures, plants need less water and it is a much more forgiving time of year to put new plants in the ground. Forget to water just one day in the summer, and your new plants can be toast. From the fall season through spring, water newly planted plants once every 3-4 days and gradually increase the number of days between watering as plants get established.

Always plan before you plant!

Whether you are planting a single plant or an entire landscape, look at plant characteristics to make sure they will fit into the space you have available and to be sure it will perform the function you are looking for. Good planning is a worthwhile investment of time that will payoff with a more attractive, easy to maintain, and useful home landscape. Water – Use It Wisely Arizona partners have put together great information on local planting, called Plant Now for the Future that includes planting instructions, plant placement and other design ideas. Also be sure to explore the on-line calendar on the Water – Use It Wisely home page and find out about all of the fall landscape workshops going on in the Valley.

There are exceptions to fall planting. All bare root plants, including roses, pecan, and fruit trees are generally planted in late December or January when they are dormant. Palm trees and other tropical plants will do best if planted during the spring or summer. When you purchase plants for your home landscape, be sure to look for healthy, well-grown plants. Don’t forget to add 2-3 inches of compost or mulch to the surface of the soil after planting and before covering with granite or rock (keep the mulch a few inches away from the stem or tree trunk). Check with your local plant nursery for best results, but don’t forget local plant sales put on by botanical gardens or others. Here’s a list of upcoming fall plant sales:

• Master Gardener Fall Plant Sale – Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Office, 4341 E. Broadway Road in Phoenix. Contact them at 602-827-8200 x311 or http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/plantsale.htm
• Desert Botanical Garden Fall Plant Sale – Oct. 16 (members only), Oct 17 & 18 open to everyone. Contact them at 480-941-1225 or www.dbg.org
• Boyce Thompson Arboretum Fall Plant Sale – Oct. 9 - 25, located at U.S. Highway 60 in Superior. Contact them at 520-689-2723 or http://ag.arizona.edu/bta
• Local Nurseries – Your local nursery will often have fall promotions. Find your closest local nursery by visiting the Arizona Nursery Association Web site at http://azna.org/retail/

Don’t forget to plant seeds!

It’s also the time of year to plant seeds. Are you thinking of overseeding your bermudagrass? First, see the Top Ten Reasons Not to Overseed with Winter Rye. If you decide you still want to overseed, keep it as efficient as you can with the timing and watering and limiting the areas. Find helpful details at the University of Arizona site at http://ag.arizona.edu/turf/tips894.html

Are you looking for carpets of golden poppies or spikes of violet lupines? Fall is the time to sow many of the wildflower seeds in your landscape. If possible try to sow shortly before one of our October or November rains. For good details on wildflower gardening, request our free booklet, “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” or you can find information at the Desert Botanical Garden Web Site at www.desertbotanical.org/index.php/gardening/growingguides/ground/wildflowers.
Wild Seed, Inc., is one of our best local wildflower seed companies. Look for the seed at plant sales or your local nursery, or contact them at 602-276-3536.

It’s one of the great debates. Like Yankees vs. Red Socks, Democrats vs. Republicans, cat lovers vs. dog lovers, there are those who overseed their grass vs. those who don’t. Why the great debate? Well, it’s hard to say exactly how it all started, but it likely has something to do with American’s love of lush green lawns and doing whatever it takes to have them.

The fact that Bermuda grass and its hybrid varieties are still the best performers in Arizona’s low desert regions probably has something to do with it. While Bermuda thrives in our summer heat, around late October to mid-November, this summer grass will go dormant turning a nice shade of golden-tan.

Swooping in comes the promise of an emerald-green delicate carpet of ryegrass. The ritual starts in September but may go as late as mid-November. You start seeing mowers surrounded in a cloud of dust as landscapers start scalping lawns in preparation of overseeding. The scalping, or extra low mowing, allows the seed better contact with the soil below, and then the daily multiple waterings begin to ensure germination of seed.

Just how much water does it take to have this winter luxury? Over 8,000 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet of grass is needed – somewhat difficult to justify when water is such a precious resource in Arizona. By learning to accept a less than lush lawn during the winter months, property owners will not only realize significant water savings for themselves and their community, they will also save a lot of time and money. So if you’re looking for a reason not to overseed, take a look at these …

Top Ten Reasons Not to Plant a Winter Lawn:

10. Save time - No need to scalp the lawn, prepare the seedbed, seed, water, or mow.

9. Save water - Getting ryegrass seed to germinate requires watering three times a day or more, and spikes in water usage are always noticeable during the months of October and November when winter rye is seeded. By not overseeding, over 8,000 gallons of water can be saved for every 1,000 square feet of grass each season. In contrast, dormant Bermuda only needs to be watered once a month from November to February – even less if we get winter rains.

8. Preserve water quality - Less fertilizers and pesticides will be needed. Much of our water pollution comes from runoff of these products from urban landscapes.

7. Save money - Save on the cost of seed, labor, water, and gasoline for mowing. Also, wastewater rates are often determined by your winter water usage. If you use more water in the winter, your utility bill wastewater rates will be higher the rest of the year.

6. Save landfill space - Scalping Bermuda grass creates a great deal of waste for the landfills. Ryegrass clippings can create additional waste all winter and spring.

5. Save the air - Gasoline mowers and other lawn equipment contributes to our air pollution problems, and the scalping process releases dust and other particles into the air.

4. Decrease noise pollution - Mowers, weed whackers, and leaf blowers have become a major source of background noise in many neighborhoods. The drone of lawn equipment contributes to an already noisy world.

3. Save frustration - Problems with seed germination, fertilizers, diseases, and irrigation are all common when planting a winter lawn.

2. Set an example -We live in a desert and this is an opportunity to demonstrate your community leadership with a responsible outlook towards our water supply.

And the number one reason not to plant a winter lawn …

1. Give your Bermuda a break - Overseeding can be stressful for your Bermuda grass. In the fall, scalping the summer grass before dormancy doesn’t allow for adequate storage of energy in the roots. In the spring, the rye competes with Bermuda, and customers often withhold water to transition from winter to summer grass. Unfortunately, this will also stress the Bermuda.

You say you have to overseed…

OK, OK, so you say that you have to overseed. Either your spouse will divorce you if you don’t, your HOA requires you to overseed or you’ll get fined (and you’re still working on changing that code), or you just have to put your toes into some green grass in the winter and you can’t afford a trip south of the equator?

Here are some tips to keep it as water efficient as possible:

1. Don’t overseed too early. Mid-October to mid-November is best. Less water will be needed and the rye won’t get stressed from the higher temperatures of early fall. Check out the desert lawn care guide linked on our Water – Use It Wisely resources page for extra care tips.
2. Don’t overseed the entire yard if you don’t have to. Just do select areas.
3. Water your grass properly. We have the perfect tool for you to figure out how to do that, our Landscape Watering by the Numbers guide. It tells you how much and how often to water to keep your grass healthy and beautiful without water waste.
4. If your grass is in your back yard, you might want to consider having rye grass only and having no grass (or watering) in the summer months. We’re still not sure how well this would work (weeds, dust, etc.), but if you try it and it works well, let us know.
5. When you’ve had enough of this vicious cycle, consider removing all the grass. Yep, we have a guide for that too. This turf removal guide is another link on our Water – Use It Wisely resources page.

If you’ve been considering converting your grass into a colorful low-water-use landscape, a local class will show you the easy step-by-step methods. And, you may even be eligible for a rebate!

The City of Chandler is presenting a free workshop, Basic Yard Makeovers on Tuesday, September 1, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Call 480-782-3580 to register for the program.

Many of the partners in the Arizona Water - Use It Wisely coalition offer FREE workshops or classes with expert speakers willing to share their knowledge. You can learn about designing a colorful water-saving, low maintenance landscape, programming an irrigation controller, attracting wildlife to your yard, selecting low-water-use plants, pruning, watering your landscape, making compost, or herb and vegetable gardening in the low desert.  There are even walking tours of local Xeriscape gardens.

Explore the new on-line calendar on the Water – Use It Wisely home page and find out more about conservation events scheduled in the metropolitan Phoenix area. See for yourself.  Click on the calendar on the left navigation bar ‘Learn about local events & classes’ to see what’s happening in your city or town.

In our dry desert climate, the typical swimming pool can evaporate its equivalent water volume in one year – up to 25,000 gallons of water. Along with evaporation, you will also have water lost to ‘splash out’ and possibly for the backwash process. However, it is also estimated that up to 30 percent of all pools have a leak, wasting lots of water unnecessarily. How can you learn more?

Water – Use It Wisely partners have put together a great resource of local Arizona water saving information. Check out Water Saving Tips to Keep the Splash in Your Pool, a quick guide to understanding where all that water is going, how to use your pool water efficiently, and more. The guide also highlights some of the latest technology that eliminates the need to drain the pool when calcium levels get too high.

Arizona-specific guides on other topics, such as converting from grass to Xeriscape and Arizona tax credits for rainwater harvesting systems are also available on the Water – Use It Wisely Arizona site. From the home page, just click on “LOCAL AZ INFO.”

There’s more to check out at the Mesa Red Mountain Library besides books this spring. From now until May 7th, the library will feature a 16-foot tall, 136-gallon water jug pyramid as part of the City’s observance of Water Awareness Month. The display represents how much water one person consumes per day in their home.

“This impressive display illustrates the need for all of us to be more aware of how much water each of us uses on a daily basis,” said Water Conservation Specialist Donna DiFrancesco. “We hope this urges our customers to be responsible in their water usage to protect this valuable resource.”

Typical residential water usage in Mesa ranges from 80 to 180 gallons of water per person per day, including indoor and outdoor use. Water use is broken down in the following categories:

• Consumption – Six gallons
• Showers and Baths – 16 gallons
• Toilets – 18 gallons
• Household Cleaning – 22 gallons
• Outdoors – 74 gallons

The display is part of the Water - Use It Wisely campaign, launched in 1999 to promote an ongoing water conservation ethic among Arizona’s rapidly growing population. Following Arizona’s lead, nearly 400 towns, cities, states, utilities, and private and public organizations have adopted the Water - Use It Wisely campaign, making it one of the largest conservation educational outreach programs in the world.

If you miss the Mesa showing … don’t worry.  The water jug pyramid journey continue it’s journey to the City of Peoria from May 8^th through the end of June.