7. Maintain Your Xeriscape

Principle No. 7landscape in yard

No garden is maintenance-free. Even xeriscape designs need regular, seasonal maintenance to preserve their beauty. 

Spring

  • Work compost into the soil and replace / add mulch
  • Aerate lawns and check sprinkler systems
  • Mow lawns to a height of 3 inches
  • Prune evergreen shrubs
  • Plant trees and shrubs

Summer

  • Plant annuals (and fertilize bi-weekly to monthly for more blooms)
  • Control pests and eliminate weeds
  • Trim dead flower heads

Fall

  • Apply lawn fertilizer
  • Compost leaves and other green plant matter
  • Water new plants

Winter

  • Prune deciduous trees and late-blooming deciduous shrubs
  • If there is no precipitation and day-time temperatures reach 40 degrees, water root zones of plants