Hydrozoning is the practice of clustering together plants with similar water requirements in an effort to conserve water. Grouping plants into hydrozones is an approach to
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...
and
garden design
Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise. ...
where plants with similar water needs are grouped together. Through the practice of hydrozoning, it is possible to customize irrigation schedules for each area’s needs, improving efficiency and avoiding overwatering and underwatering certain plants and grasses.
As you move farther away from the water source, your plantings require less water. For example,
drought tolerant
Drought tolerance is the ability to which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions. Some plants are naturally adapted to dry conditions'','' surviving with protection mechanisms such as desiccation tolerance, deto ...
plants such as
sage
Sage or SAGE may refer to:
Plants
* ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb
** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family
** ''Salvia'', a large ...
or
cactus
A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...
would not be planted in a
bluegrass lawn, but would be separated, since bluegrass has a higher water requirement.
The principal hydrozone is found in local parks and gathering places, such as urban plazas and spaces around well-used public buildings. Mixing plants with different water needs can result in over-watering of water-thrifty plants or under-watering of plants requiring regular moisture.
See also
*
Xeriscape
Xeriscaping is the process of landscaping, or gardening, that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation. It is promoted in regions that do not have accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water and has gained acceptance in other ...
References
Horticulture
Irrigation
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