Whether it be farming, gardening, or houseplants, the health and productivity of your plants starts with the soil. And in the case of xeriscaping or any gardening for that matter, the condition and PH of your soil should match the requirements of the plants you wish to use. That's just common sense.

Since xeriscaping deals with grouping plants with similar water, soil,and nutrient needs, conditioning the soil can mean a lot of different things.

Conditioning the soil may be nothing more than top dressing to preserve moisture. Local soil condition and composition is one of the reasons why native planting is so common in xeriscaping landscaping ideas. And in the case of native planting, you don't want to alter the soil to any great degree. The plants are happy with the way things are.

Conditioning the soil for success, again, should be geared toward the types of plants you want to use. However, beyond that, most plants benefit from soils that contain more than just dirt. Organics and deep mulching is key.

Soils with lots of organics will retain moisture better than just plain dirt, sand, or clay. Organics such as manure, compost, or leaf mold should be tilled into the soil as deeply as possible and a minimum of 6 inches. Apply the amendments abundantly at about 3 or 4 inches deep and then till it in.

Over time, good organics practices will also naturally balance soil PH. which helps regulate proper nutrient uptake. And proper nutrient uptake and PH means healthier plants that need less maintenance and water.

Mulching is ground cover that is usually in the form of either wood chip base or stone base such as pea gravel. It is easy, cheap, retains moisture, keeps the soil cool (wood base), and helps control weeds. Generally, wood base mulch is preferred over rock base for xeriscaping full sun areas as it keeps the soil and plants cooler.

Either way, for the sake of retaining moisture in xeric design, mulching is a minimum requirement.

Choosing The Right Plants

True xeric design can have beautiful displays with groups of various plants as long as all species in a group have similar requirements. And with this, keep in mind that you're not limited to just cactus and desert plants. There are countless varieties that will work in most climates.

Of course with just a little observation, you can look around and see what's working in other local landscapes. However, this doesn't necessarily tell you anything about plant requirements and habits.

Plants have many different requirements in regards to soil, light, water, and location and should be grouped and planted accordingly. So take the time to discover a little about the plants you can use.

While it may seem that planting natives would be simpler than planting adaptive plants, it often isn't. Finding seeds or potted natives can be difficult and transplant can be hard and slow recovery.

In the event that you choose to dig your own, try to re-create as much of the transplants original environment. This includes soil, sun exposure, and even the direction the plant faces.

Once you've decided to plant native, you'll start to really notice new plants and their habits. Pay attention to how the plants react to different seasons and weather changes. Some of our Desert plants, for instance, bloom profusely after it rains. But only after it rains. So don't just base plants on how they look the day you go out to gather.

Most lawn types are not a plant of choice for a waterwise landscape. There are drought tolerant varieties of most species but even these still require substantial amounts of supplement water. A few true drought tolerant species are Buffalo Grass and Zoysia Grass.

Keeping lawn areas small and minimal is common practice in xeriscaping. Other than the obvious reason of less water use, it also means less to take care of.

If at all possible, the most efficient way to irrigate is with an automated irrigation system. This will allow you create zones and regulate when, how much, and when it turns off. And for anyone who has left the water running in one spot for hours or even days, you'll understand how this in itself is a resource saver.

Delivery method should take into consideration - plant type, slope, soil type, saturation, and evaporation. Drainage and saturation for slopes and watering hillside landscaping need special attention to prevent runoff and make the best use of resources.

While lawn areas should be minimal in xeric design, any lawn areas should be watered either late evening or early morning with early morning being the preferred time. In the evening, the ground and air are still warm and there will be more evaporation than in early morning.

Also for lawn areas, use low angle sprinklers and avoid sprinklers that shoot water high into the air.

Drip or bubbler irrigation is the most efficient way to spot water plants, shrubs, and trees. The most amount of saturation with the least amount of runoff is the goal. Deep saturation is important to help produce deep root systems. And deep root systems will need less water than shallow root systems.

As I stated earlier, for the most efficient use of water and resources, plants with similar needs should be grouped together and watered at the same time.