Turf grass and landscape bed separation

Background

Turf grass and landscape beds do not have the same watering and maintenance requirements. When turf grass and landscape beds are planted in the same irrigation zone or intermixed within a zone, it can be difficult to apply irrigation efficiently.

The following figure shows an example of multiple hydrozones within a landscape, with representative areas containing plants with similar moisture and maintenance requirements. In this example, a separate zone valve should irrigate each zone.

Requirements and certification

For in-ground irrigation systems, turf grass and landscape bed areas are distinctly separate.

This efficiency practice supports a similar irrigation prerequisite and is part of the overall effort to integrate water-efficient landscape and irrigation design.

To meet this requirement, separate valves must be used to irrigate turf grass and landscape beds, and the irrigation zones must clearly match landscape hydrozones within the irrigation design.

Program tip

In some cases, seemingly dissimilar plants might do better if grouped together. For instance, if it is not feasible to establish trees on a separate irrigation zone, their moisture requirements might be more similar to turf grass than shrubs and can be included in irrigation zones for turf.

Refer to the waterwise plant database to confirm that plants within an irrigation zone have similar moisture and maintenance requirements. The design drawings should clearly demonstrate zone separation.