Smart Plant Choices for Northwest Gardens City of Kirkland - Natural Yard Care
Choosing the Right Plants Basic Steps Map Your Garden Soil conditions Light conditions Wind direction Microclimate locations Access
Map Your Garden SW Consider plant placement criteria to ensure putting the right plant in the right place to begin with! NORTH
Soil Conditions of the Northwest • Glacial Till • Hardpan • Outwash Soils • Lake/Marine Bed Soils • Volcanic Ash • Mudflows Lead to clay soil, sandy soil or loam
Where is Your Sun? •What causes the shade? Trees? Buildings? •Is there variable exposure? •Does the exposure change with the seasons? •How will your tree or shrub affect exposure for other plants – for your house?
Which Way the Weather? • Prevailing winds from southwest or north • What is exposed and what is protected? • Reflection from sun off light colored surfaces south east west north
Which Way the Weather? You can moderate microclimates by planting trees and shrubs • Deciduous trees - shelter and shade in summer • Plant groupings can provide efficient windbreaks • Evergreen trees – warm up air around them in winter www.worldagroforestry.org
Create Microclimates • Sheltered areas – tender plants • Water features – warm the air • Brick or rock – radiant heat
Provide Access • For maintaining the garden • For utilities – meter boxes, moving curbside cans • For maintaining your house • Minimize need for pruning!
Plant Choices • Utilize climate zone maps • Group plants with same needs together in the garden • Know the ultimate height and width of plant • Choose plants with low water needs • Plant a diverse garden • Avoid noxious plants • Plant correctly • Mulch garden beds • Water properly
USDA and SUNSET ZONES
Washington State Zone Maps
Height and Width of Mature Trees and Shrubs • Read the plant tag • Visit sites with mature trees and shrubs • Less than ideal conditions could affect ultimate size of plants • Plant placement matters!
Group Plants with Like Needs • Drought Tolerance – Manzanita, Juniper, Redbud • Boggy Soil - Blueberry, Red Stem Dogwood, Serviceberry • Sun Lovers –Pine, Mock Orange, Crab Apple • Shade Lovers – Japanese Maple, Dogwood, Snowbell More efficient to water Soil conditions are similar
Plant Placement NORTH NORTH NORTH NORTH composting bins trees & shrubs for screening and wildlife shade tree PNW native winter border garden veggie veggie garden lawn patio Rain garden fern herbs rainbarrels garden
Choose Low Water Need Plants Know a plant’s origin! • Washington natives- wet winter, dry summer • California and Mexico – dry and sunny • Mediterranean – windy and sunny slopes • New Zealand – small leaved plants to reduce transpiration
Washington Natives California and Mexico New Zealand Mediterranean
Plan a Diverse Garden • Provide year round interest – fall color, winter structure, spring bloom, summer fruit • Attract beneficial wildlife – birds, bees, bats and more! • Keep plants healthy – no monocrops
Wildlife Plantings • Build layers • Provide diverse types of plants Food – berries, seeds, insects, nectar Shelter – thickets, branches Nest Sites – sheltered areas, snags Water feature – bonus to include on site • Know your local fauna • Plant native plants By Alan Vernon [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Urban Wildlife Plantings Small Scale Trees – 15 feet in height Vine Maple Serviceberry Crabapple Cornelian Cherry
Urban Wildlife Plantings Medium Scale Trees – 30 feet in height Dogwood Redbud Japanese Black Pine
Urban Wildlife Plantings Shrubs and Groundcovers Red Flowering Currant Beach Strawberry Evergreen Huckleberry Low Mahonia
Avoid Noxious Plants! • Get to know your local noxious weed board and their list • Class A regulated weeds MUST be managed by law • Class B and C are regulated at local levels depending on need • Non- regulated Noxious Weeds not mandated for control but recognized as a nuisance • King County Weeds of Concern – not regulated and not on the lists but recognized as being problematic • Any weed can change status
Correct Planting Techniques • Amend entire planting bed or not at all – trees and shrubs need to adapt to native soil • Dig planting hole twice as wide as root ball and no deeper than root ball • Remove burlap, cage or pot • Open up roots carefully – spread out so roots do not circle around in planting hole • Trim where needed to open root ball – use sharp, clean hand pruners • Place root ball into hole – keep stem upright • Backfill with soil – do not amend in planting hole • Water in well even if raining – build berm around planting hole
Mulch the Garden Bed • Conserve moisture • Moderate soil temperatures • Keep weeds down Wood Chips – get free from arborists working in your area Leaves from your garden – keep in place Commercial Mixes with manure and wood shavings or sawdust
Establishing Drought Tolerance Year One Spring – fall, when weather is dry. • When planting - Soak • Week 1 - Daily or every other day • Week 2 onward - 2-3 times per week unless extremely dry • Water until fall rains begin Year Two • Water deeply 1-2 times per week in summer or when rain is sparse • How long and often will depend on soil and weather Year Three • Should be established and need no supplemental water • In extreme heat/drought, consider deeply watering 1 time per month
Smart Watering Practices • Time and measure water being delivered – tuna can test • Allow water to soak in slowly to avoid loss of water from evaporation and wind • Allow water to soak in deeply – this will establish a more robust and deep root system capable of tolerating drought • Water in the morning to avoid evaporation, and avoid leaves staying wet through the night – less disease
Smart Watering Practices Smart Watering Practices Irrigation Options Drip Irrigation Hand Watering Automatic Irrigation Systems Soaker Hoses
How Much Water Does Your Plant Need? • Root depth is variable by plant type • Root depth depends on soil conditions • Know your plant’s native environment • Feel the soil to determine moisture content • Check trees and shrubs in dry months – July and August
Resources • Garden Hotline – 206-633-0224 – www.gardenhotline.org • Cascade Water Alliance - www.cascadewater.org • Great Plant Picks - http://www.greatplantpicks.org/ • Native Plant Guide – King County - https://green2.kingcounty.gov/gonative/index.aspx • Washington Native Plant Society - https://www.wnps.org/ • Tilth Alliance- www.tilthalliance.org
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