Once you've created your landscaping design and have your plants on hand, you'll need to begin with some general prep work. First, clean up your planting areas, removing any old plant debris, loose stones, and other extraneous materials. Then tackle the weeds and other unwanted vegetation.
If you can avoid it, do NOT till up the area, even if you do manage to pull all the existing weeds; you'll just expose another batch of seeds that you'll have to deal with later. However, you'll eventually have to till if you're adding organic amendments to the planting beds. If that's the case, be sure to use mulch to help block any weeds from coming back, and pull them the instant they appear if they come up anyway.
If you need to remove turfgrass from your lawn in order to install your native plants, expect to put in some serious effort doing so. There are basically three methods of turf removal, and they vary according to the type of grass you're dealing with.
Sod cutting. Many standard turfgrasses, such as fescues and perennial rye, can be easily removed with a mechanical sod cutter, as long as you cut below the crown of the plants.
Once the sod has been cut, you can then flip it over to form a ready-made mulch.
However, some tenacious grasses, such as Bermuda grass, aren't so easily defeated. They'll require herbicide to remove.
Herbicide. Creeping varieties of turfgrasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass and the abovementioned Bermuda grass, need to be killed with a glyphosate herbicide before planting. Glyphosate (better known as Roundup®, Touchdown®, and Zap-It Ultimate) will kill any grass, but only if it's actively green and growing. You can usually be landscaping within 10-20 days after application.
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Solarization. Simply block out all sunlight from the grass. This method, which is the most time-consuming, works best in the fall; and it doesn't work at all for Bermuda grass. Otherwise, it's a viable option if you have plenty of time and don't want to try sod-cutting or herbicides.
Once the sod is out of the way, make sure you have enough soil for the planting area. If not, you may need to prepare a terrace or berm, or hem the beds in with wooden beams, so you can add extra soil.
Next, lay out your planting plan on the ground using something that won't biodegrade quickly or blow away: pin-flags or labeled sticks work well. This method will allow you to make any necessary adjustments before planting.
If you plan to use an irrigation or water harvesting system, design and lay it out as well. This isn't an issue if you plan to water regularly by hand, but if your yard or garden is particularly large, that may not be a viable option.
The Planting Itself
Start planting one section at a time. Dig each hole deep enough that the top of the plant's root ball is one-half to one inch below ground level, and can be covered without creating a mound. Next, fill the hole with water and let it drain before putting the plant in; this is more beneficial than top-watering afterward.
Once the plant is in place, mulch the area around it. Not only will this suppress weeds, it will slow down evaporation and help keep the soil moist. Mulch can also add nutrients to the soil as it decomposes.
Be sure to water your new plants generously the first day or two after transplant, depending on your soil type. Even the hardiest desert plants need water immediately after transplanting, so that they can get established effectively. If you'll water deeply rather than frequently thereafter, the roots will be encouraged to penetrate more deeply. Not only will this give the plants access to more nutrients and water, it will anchor them more securely in the soil.
If you haven't already, please see our website for information on watering differences of the different plant communities. Which
community each species belongs to can be found on each plant description page on the website, or in our User's Guide.
