Building the soil sponge helps our landscapes cope with the challenging conditions in Central Oregon. Not only do they improve the health and resilience of our landscape, they save water by increasing the storage and efficiency of water use by soil and plants.

AMEND SOIL

Amending Central Oregon soils with compost will increase nutrient and water holding capacity. In a new planting area, incorporate 1-2 inches of compost into 6 inches of soil.

LAWN AERATION

Aerate lawns to improve water penetration. Combining a light top dressing with aeraton in Spring is an excellent way incorporate organic matter into the soil and improve water holding capacity. More lawn information is available in our lawn care brochure.

MULCHING

Maintaining 3 - 4 inches of mulch in your planters, will help your soil retain moisture as well as a slow the invasion of weeds. Make sure not to bury the trunk of the plant and keep mulch 6" away from the crowns of plants and 18"from the crown of a tree.

WATERWISE LANDSCAPES 

Converting to a WaterWise landscape means choosing plants that are appropriate for our climate, installing efficient irrigation systems, and  maintaining proper cultural practices. WaterWise landscaping means we consider how much water our landscape will need and perform maintenance to ensure we are minimizing any waste. Converting all or a portion of your yard to a WaterWise garden can save up to 10,000 gallons of water per year. Check out these guides for more ideas and inspiration.

CONVERT TO DRIP AND SAVE!

Drip irrigation delivers water directly to the soil at your plants. By not broadcasting water to open areas, weed growth is also supressed. Converting an individual zone to drip can be easy with the use of a Drip Retrokit. Dedicate one or two spinklers as the connection points, replace with the retro-kit, and cap the remaining sprinklers on the zone.