Basics
Knowing what zone you are at, what soil and water type you have in your area is the first step on your success.
Climate
Soil
Water
Know where you live
Climate
Depends on where you live, Utah climate is semi-arid to desert, across USDA planting zone 4-9. On average, you’ll have approximately 170 days between the last and first frost.
Click HERE for the interactive app (input your zipcode to find your zone.)
- Zone 4: -30 to -20°F
- Zone 5: -20°F to -10°F
- Zone 6: -10°F to 0°F
- Zone 7: 0 to 10°F
- Zone 8: 10 to 20°F
- Zone 9: 20 to 30°F
This map is based on 30-year averages (1991 to 2020) for the lowest annual winter temperatures which means there might be oddly cold front that’s colder than the temp shown here.
You can find the coldest temp in SLC for each year on this site.
The health of plants
Soil
Utah soil tends to be more alkaline and lack of organic matter (depends on where you live) and it’s either sandy or clay. Do a simple soil test at home and see what fertilizer you should add.
PH level
Most Utah soils have pH values in the mid-7.0 to low 8.0 range. Many plants grow well over a broad range of soil pH; however, some acid-loving plants will not grow well above pH 7.
Organic matter
In native Utah soil, organic matter levels are low (0.25% – 1%). You can amend by adding compost, peat moss or other organic ingredients.
1. Disturb the soil as little as possible
2. Keep the soil covered as much as possible
3. Keep the soil planted as much as possible.
– The Living Soil Handbook, Jesse Frost
How to make the best use of
Water
Utah climate is very dry, and we mostly rely on snow-melt water. With the increasing population, water-wise garden has become an important topic.
Water efficiently with Deep Watering
Infrequent, slow and long watering allows water to penetrate soil deeper (>8″) as healthy plants (especially trees) have long roots. Infrequent watering also encourages plants to grow their roots longer. You can run the water with a drip system or from the hose for 30 min. This idea can also apply to lawn: 2-3 times/week aiming for 1″ in total per week.
Read more at Weekly lawn watering guide
Retain water with Mulching
Good soil with organic matter will drain and retain water properly. Whether you have good soil or not, start by mulching heavily (>3″) to keep the moisture and good microbes in the soil. Your soil quality will improve over time.
Only water where it’s Needed
Using drip irrigation to direct water to the plants to avoid water evaporating in the air. It also minimizes diseases (water on leaves encourages diseases) and weed growth (if you don’t feed water between your plants.)
Read more at USU extension: How to irrigate efficiently
Not sure the efficiency of your sprinkler system? Sign up for Free water check
Get your money by flip your strip