USU Extension
Summit County Office

Program Details

Here is an after shot of a landscape in Snyderville Basin. The dark ground is a compost-biochar blend, and the whole area is seeded with native bunchgrasses and wildflowers.

Bronze Level:

• Get a soil test; If cost is a barrier, please contact us for assistance. We don’t want cost to prevent participation
• Fertilize based on soil test results (not to exceed 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000ft² of yard per year)
• Do not fertilize within 20 feet of water
• Keep mower blades sharp; Leave lawn clippings on the lawn; Raise mower to 4” and use a mulching blade
• Match watering strategy to your soil type (longer and more infrequently for clay, shorter and more frequently for sandy soils
• Do not overwater. Follow all watering restrictions. Sprinkle at dawn and dusk. Stop watering when it’s raining.
• Hand pull annual and biennial weeds
• Know what weeds you are dealing with, when it is best to treat them, and what is the most effective herbicide or pesticide to apply. Follow all label recommendations.
• Never water after application of herbicides or pesticides
• Maintain a 5-foot buffer of unmanicured landscaping around water
• Know what methods and amendments your landscapers use

Silver Level:

• Use drip irrigation for shrubs, trees, and planted areas
• Conduct a water audit
• Use smart meters for irrigation and regularly check for leaks
• Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) recommendations for insect and disease problems
• Replace struggling or dying plants with drought tolerant species
• Establish a no-mow zone, an area where you let the grass grow tall and reduce irrigation in that area
• Mulch and/or install drip irrigation for flower beds, shrubs, and trees to reduce evaporation and weeds
• Ensure adequate organic matter in soil to improve water holding capacity, thus needing less water
• Use organic fertilizers when possible. Top dress lawns with a 1:9 mix of biochar: compost. Mix 5-10% biochar into a compost blend to top dress garden beds
• Maintain a 20 ft. buffer of native shrubs like willows, alders, or sedges along stream banks
• Invest in a consultation with a landscape architect or landscaper specializing in native plants and follow the recommendations
• Request a noxious and invasive weed assessment and assistance with noxious weed management plan
• Plant 15% of landscape with pollinator-friendly plants
• Maintain habitat for wildlife such as small patches of bare ground and bat and/or bee boxes

Gold Level:

• Organize plants into watering zones
• Replace existing hardscapes (or install new ones) with functional porous hardscape
• Use water harvesting techniques such as rain barrels, swales, and basins
• Convert at least 30% of your existing lawn to drought-tolerant native plants or turfgrasses that require minimal water, fertilizer, and maintenance
• Replace plants with high water needs with native and drought tolerant species

Resources

Utah House garden.

• Trout-Friendly Weed Control
• Water-Efficient Landscaping Center
• Utah Pollinator Habitat Program
• USU Home Soil Test
• Understanding Your Soil Test Report
• Measuring & Building Soil Health
• Noxious Weed Field Guide for Utah
• Summit County Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA)
• Basic Turfgrass Care
• Waterwise Landscaping: Practical Trufgrass Areas
• Preparing Soil for Turfgrass Establishment--Northern Utah
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• USU Utah Pests
• Irrigation
• Gardening & Landscaping Practices for Nesting Native Bees
• Beginner's Guide on Common Native Bees
• Where can I get a water audit in Summit County? Contact David Rice at drice@weberbasin.com
• What questions should I ask my landscaper?
  • Do you know how to ID noxious weeds?
  • What kind of amendments do you use, and how do you determine which fertilizers/chemicals to use and when to apply them?
  • How do you set irrigation schedules?
  • What is your standard blade height for mowing? Do you leave lawn clippings and use a mulching blade?

Events

This is a site in Summit Park. Watered 1 x week until August and then weekly.

• Trout Friendly Landscaping: 4/17/2023