Artificial turf provides the look of grass without the high maintenance and water requirements of living plants. However, it is important to consider both pros and cons of adding artificial turf to the landscape.

• Artificial turf is low water use. It needs water for cooling and cleaning purposes;
• It is fairly low maintenance.
• Artificial turf minimizes weed growth.
• Less herbicides and no fertilizers are needed to maintain artificial turf.
• Green aesthetics no matter the weather.

• Artificial turf can damage established plants by reducing oxygen exchange in the soil and reflecting excess heat onto the plants, causing stress.
• As a plastic product, it produces plastic waste.
• Artificial turf can get as hot as asphalt, especially without shade.
• Unknown lifespan in desert environments.
• Artificial turf is not a plant, therefore, it is unable to provide cooling from evapotranspiration, nor does it improve air quality.

When considering using artificial turf in a residential landscape, view the material as similar to hardscape, such as concrete or asphalt. Consider the adjacent plants and how they would benefit or be potentially harmed by the installation, especially if the artificial turf is replacing a previously moist and lush landscape.

For more information on artificial turf, visit the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) Grass page.

When watering plants, the goal is to get to the root of the matter. Efficient watering occurs when the majority of the water applied to the soil reaches a plants roots, as this is where the plant actively takes in water.  

Most roots grow only two to three feet deep, spreading out widely to mine the soil for moisture. The most active, water-absorbing roots are the new shoots located at the edges of the expanding root system.

Place drip emitters at these edges, also known as the drip line, located at the outermost branches of the plant canopy. This area is called a drip line because it is where most of the rain falling on the canopy rolls off the leaves and hits the soil.

Move the emitters away from the base of plants as the plant canopy grows and the drip line expands. An effective way to do this is to install the drip tubing in a spiral, or multiple connecting expanded circles, around the base of the plant.

The Guidelines For Landscape Drip Irrigation Systems provides more information on proper set up for a drip system. The Maricopa County Cooperative Extension also provides an article on the basics of drip irrigation.

Water plants deeply and infrequently to create healthy, drought-tolerant roots. Run the system long enough to get the water one foot deep for ground cover, cacti and succulents, two feet deep for shrubs and three feet deep for trees.  

Proper water management is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy lawn. You can achieve efficient watering through appropriate scheduling and maintenance practices. A properly designed system is key to optimal efficiency, however, there are ways to be efficient with any system. 

Appropriate timer scheduling is critical to water savings and plant health. Too little water hurts the health of a lawn but so does over watering, which can drain the soil of nutrients and prevent oxygen from reaching roots of the grass and any other plant living in the grass.

Heads with a Pressure Regulated Stem (PRS) optimize the pressure for the entire irrigation system, maintaining even pressure from the head at the beginning of the line to the head at the end of the line. This minimizes misting from high pressure and poor coverage due to low-pressure issues. The ultimate goal is to promote even head to head coverage and larger water droplets that will not blow away in the wind. Heads with pressure regulating stems provide the efficiency needed to prevent water waste and decrease run times.

Rotary Nozzles apply larger droplets, more slowly than fixed pattern nozzles. These efficient nozzles reduce evaporation and runoff, while giving water more time to infiltrate the soil. Each nozzle rotates while dispersing multi-trajectory streams that use less water and provide greater coverage than fixed pattern nozzles.

Head-to-head coverage is an important design factor in eliminating dry patches in a lawn. The spray from one head should land at the base of the adjacent heads.

Watering to the depth of six to ten inches per watering cycle encourages deep resilient root growth and eliminates the need to water every day. This means going out and checking the depth of watering after a full cycle is complete. Using a soil probe or long screwdriver, push the sharp end into the soil until you hit resistance. Pull it out and measure how deep it went. If it was able to reach at least six inches the run time on the clock is efficient and should not be altered. If the depth was less than six inches or more than ten inches, the controller needs to be increased or decreased depending on results.

Use Cycle-and-Soak to eliminate runoff. Break up longer watering cycles into three or four shorter cycles that can allow water to soak into the hard Arizona soil. Allow approximately 30 minutes to an hour between each cycle. Each subsequent watering will push the water deeper and deeper into the soil until the water fills the full rootzone. Arizona soil is great at holding onto water because it is primarily clay based. Utilize that storage capacity by using the Cycle and Soak method to water lawns and other landscape plants.

Whether utilizing passive or active rainwater harvesting, this sloping and dynamic landscape design is always in style.

Rainwater is a natural source of water for plants. Utilizing rainwater harvesting techniques can help increase water efficiency, mitigate stormwater pollution and regenerate soil health. 

There are two forms of rainwater harvesting, passive and active.

After installation, passive systems harvest water for beneficial use automatically without human intervention. Earthworks, such as basins, berms and swales, passively harvest water into the soil. Contouring the landscape with earthworks helps to slow, spread and infiltrate water for the benefit of plants and the environment. 

Active systems also collect water, but they require additional action to utilize that water for beneficial use. Water stored in active systems such as rain barrels and cisterns can be activated when a person utilizes the water to irrigate plants.  Passive systems that immediately use water have nearly unlimited storage potential in the soil, but the benefit of active systems is that they can store water for use during the dry seasons. 

Before harvesting the rainwater, spend time observing the landscape and taking note of the current sources and pathways of water, existing plants and their needs and microclimates. Always design and install using best practices to avoid creating mosquito breeding grounds or causing flooding of nearby structures.  Learn more at tempe.gov/conservation.

The key to a successful xeriscape installation begins with proper planning and designing. When converting from an existing lawn, start with proper elimination of the bermudagrass. Turning off the water is not an effective means to permanently kill the grass. Visit tempe.gov/conservation for more information on appropriate methods. 

Once the grass is removed, follow these ten steps for installing a new xeriscape. Proceed in order but note that not all steps may apply to every situation. 

1. Assess the site and sketch out the site on paper.
2. Gather information about plants and materials you would like to include in your design. For inspiration, visit the Tempe Xeriscape Demonstration Garden or AMWUA’s Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert page.
3. Develop a plan that includes plant and irrigation system component locations, and any rainwater harvesting features.
4. Call 811 to identify underground utilities before digging.
5. Prepare your landscape for the conversion: contour the soil using rainwater harvesting practices and add boulders.
6. Install hardscape, such as permeable pavers and walkways, and don’t forget to leave some space for the irrigation lines that will be going under the walkways.
7. Install the irrigation system. Any irrigation that is installed under a walking path or hardscape should be placed inside PVC piping for protection.
8. Install plants starting with the biggest, then work to the smallest; when laying out plants for installation, group them according to their watering needs. This is called hydrozoning and will allow for the most efficient watering practices and healthy plants.
9. Select an organic (woodchip) or inorganic (gravel) mulch.
10. Add mulch to bare soil. Apply organic mulch around the base of plants such as ground cover, shrubs and trees, to protect their roots, retain moisture and provide nutrients. Avoid putting woodchip mulch around the base of cacti and succulents.

Converting a high-water use landscape to a water wise landscape takes effort. The AMWUA Xeriscaping: Landscaping with Style in the Arizona Desert page provides an in depth step-by-step guide designed to help homeowners create their own sustainable and beautiful desert-adapted landscape. Residents can also take advantage of several rebates provided by the City of Tempe’s Water Conservation Program, including the Treebate, High-Efficiency Irrigation Rebate and the Landscape Conversion Rebate.

Many Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Mohave Desert plants are edible. Native Americans have used many of the plants from these various deserts for centuries. Some of the most notable edible desert plants include the Saguaro Cactus fruit, Prickly Pear Cactus fruit (also known as tunas), Mesquite bean pods and Palo Verde beans.

Native varieties require the least maintenance and are the most familiar food source for local wildlife. They also create beautiful habitats and help conserve water. Native plants offer numerous opportunities to provide food year-round, for humans and pollinators.

Remember to avoid using pesticides and herbicides around plants intended for consumption.

Research is key, when planning an edible desert landscape and when time comes to harvest. Identify desired plants prior to purchase to make sure the right variety is selected. Shopping by a plant’s Latin name is the best way to purchase the correct plant because many plants share common names. Finally, become familiar with the guidelines for proper harvesting, preparation and consumption.

For more information, visit the Tempe Public Library to check out books on edible plants of the desert southwest.

Trees provide countless benefits for a landscape and the surrounding community. Proper planting is key to their successful establishment. View the New Tree Care Guidelines: Right Tree, Right Place brochure for a more in depth look at tree planting for success.

Dig the hole for the tree three times as wide as the root ball. The root ball refers to the entire mass of the roots as they are removed from the pot, along with the surrounding soil. The hole should be no deeper than the root ball. In fact, it should be a little shallower to allow the tree to settle into the hole and not sink too deep.

The root flair should be visible. The root flair refers to the part of the trunk where a tree tapers outward at ground level. If this is not visible when planted, then the tree is too deep and could suffer from trunk rot and other negative impacts.

Only stake the tree following best practices and always remove the nursery stake, which is a temporary stake the tree is tied to while at the nursery.  

Native trees do not need soil amendments because they have their own adaptations for surviving in the Sonoran Desert soil.

Create a basin around the base of the tree to capture water. The basin should form a donut around the tree with the trunk sitting on a high point, to avoid trunk rot, and a berm around the outer edge of the donut to hold the water in. Adding mulch to the basin will help retain water and return nutrients to the soil over time.

Planting a tree too deep into the soil weakens roots and rots the trunk.

Healthy trees can often be planted without staking. However, if stakes are needed, placing stakes directly into the root ball of the tree damages roots and will not provide stability. The stakes should be placed in undisturbed soil outside of the hole dug for planting.

Avoid purchasing a tree that has girdled roots, which are roots that wrap around the root ball instead of spreading out into the soil. Examine the base of the trunk, while at the nursery, to see if there are any girdled roots. When planted, trees need roots capable of growing outward in the soil to create stability, seek out water and uptake nutrients. Girdled roots will grow around the base of the tree, preventing stability and cutting off the flow of nutrients.

Staking too long or too tight can restrict trunk growth and create weak points where the tree can snap in the wind. This also degrades the tree’s ability to move nutrients and water through its system.

For more tips, watch Tempe’s Urban Forester, Richard Adkins, teach about Common Mistakes When Planting Trees. For inspiration on selecting the right tree for your landscape, watch Landscape Trees for the Arizona Desert.

Trees need leaves to make food and protect their trunk from heavy winds. Following the best practices for mature tree care is essential to maintaining a healthy and robust tree.

The first step to proper pruning is planting the right tree in the right place. Trees planted too close to powerlines, play areas, parking spaces and other structures are often over pruned. Always consider how big they will grow, their growth rate, water needs and other factors that affect pruning and maintenance habits. Visit the AMWUA page on Plants for the Arizona Desert to learn more about trees that will thrive in the Sonoran Desert, their habits and care.

Young trees need their leaves for trunk, canopy, and root development. Avoid pruning them for the first three years. Young trees that are over pruned will struggle and develop at a slower rate. There is a proper way to train young trees but it must be done with care.

Pruning mature trees also takes care. Have a good reason to prune your tree. Only remove dead, diseased and damaged branches. Putting the right tree in the right place will help avoid over pruning and the need to remove healthy branches.

Trees need foliage to shade their branches and trunk from the hot Arizona sun. When pruning, always know when to stop. At least two-thirds of the foliage should remain once maintenance is complete.

Thinning the canopy removes leaves and branches that would normally disperse the wind before it reaches the trunk of the tree. This practice will make the tree more susceptible to damage during a storm. For this reason, it is important to never prune more than 25% of the tree’s interior branches, in one season, and only prune them if they are crossing or rubbing.

When pruning large branches, remember the 1, 2, 3 rule, or the three-point cut method to prevent large branches from breaking and peeling off bark. Always prune with clean, sharp tools to prevent tearing and the spread of disease. Final cuts should be smooth, not rugged, and it is important that the final cut is done correctly so the tree is able to properly heal.

Tempe Water Conservation Scavenger Hunt