Monday, April 4, 2011

Dry Climate? Try Xeriscape Landscaping

Using xeriscaping in Las Vegas and other dry climates requires various techniques from proper plant selection, soil types, composts, mulch and plant placement. Below are the various aspects that need to be addressed when you use xeriscape landscaping.

We all love beautiful gardens. But beautiful gardens usually require vast amounts of water, a substance that is in short supply in thirsty and dry Las Vegas. In order to combine our love for beautiful gardens and the need for water conservation we can turn to the technique of Xeriscaping, an ecologically sound way to have pleasing landscaping in Las Vegas.

The term xeriscape is a combination of two words. Xeros is Greek for dry and it is combined with a portion of the word landscape. Put simply, xeriscaping involves planning gardens that conserve water, something that is become increasingly important to the landscaping in Las Vegas.

The first and most obvious way to conserve water in planned gardens is to select plants that do not require more water than the environment can naturally provide. Often the best choices are native plants. In terms of landscaping in Las Vegas this means selecting plants that are native to the Nevada desert.

The next important consideration involves soil type. In the past landscaping in Las Vegas meant wholesale replacement of soil and plants, and this often included selection of non-native plants and soil that could not absorb and hold water. When planning a garden using the xeriscaping method, it is important to choose soils that can retain water.

Soil can be further improved by adding compost. The natural bacteria and fungi in compost helps soil both conserve water and give nutrients to the plants. Composted soil becomes aerated and allows for better water absorption and retention, which is crucial to any landscaping in Las Vegas.

To help the soil conserve water and adhere to the purpose of xeriscaping it is also important to cover the areas near plants with mulch. Mulch provides a barrier to the burning desert sun that can dry the soil and cause it to lose water through evaporation. Because of the dry climate any landscaping in Las Vegas should include mulch because combined with the right soil the water savings could amount to as much as fifty percent.

It’s not enough to simply choose plants that use less water than existing plants. The new plants have to be divided according to their own level of water use and placed together. When using xeriscaping for landscaping in Las Vegas it is important to group plants together according to their water needs and place the plants with the greatest water consumption nearest the water source.

Xeriscaping also requires careful selection of watering methods. There are two ways to think of watering methods when planning landscaping in Las Vegas and both center on how to avoid water loss, or waste, due to the burning sun. A method such as a drip system that allows water to be placed nearest the plant without having to travel through the air is best. On the contrary, sprinkler methods that shoot water through the air waste a considerable amount due to evaporation. It is also important to minimize water loss by regulating the time of day when plants are watered. During midday when the sun is highest and the temperature is hottest the greatest water loss occurs. It’s best to avoid this time of day for watering.


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