Articles & Resources

Good Gardening Practices

Utah is a challenging place to garden. The soils in the Salt Lake Valley vary enormously in texture. Some have high sand content while others are high in clay, but all have very little organic matter. Most soils are alkaline and have a pH over 7.5. In addition, the Salt Lake Valley receives less than 14 inches of precipitation per year.

At Red Butte Garden we face these same challenges and over time have experimented with a variety of solutions to improve our soil texture and nutrient content, conserve water, decrease our use of pesticides, and be a good garden neighbor to you and to our surrounding natural area. Walk through the Garden to see some good gardening practices that you can integrate into your own garden. These practices offer ways to create a gorgeous garden using less water, time and money.

Soil Amendments

The initial time, energy and money that is involved in amending your soil will pay off in the long-term success of your garden.

Mulch

At the Garden we topdress our planting beds with mulch about twice a year. Mulch can benefit your garden in the following ways:

  • Reduces weeds
  • Conserves moisture
  • Provides an even soil temperature
  • Improves soil texture
  • Saves time and money

Compacted Shale

A compacted shale that has been fired at extremely high temperatures, has also been mixed into the Garden’s planting beds. This additive is best used in clay soils to decrease soil compaction, increase drainage and provide better aeration.

Coconut Fibers and Polymers

Coconut plant fiber and polymers have been mixed with the soil in our hanging baskets to help prevent them from drying out. These products can absorb up to ten times their weight in water, and act as reserve moisture when plants need it. To help conserve water add these products, found at most garden stores, to your planters and container gardens.

Compost

The Garden generates an enormous amount of organic waste. We gather this material and let it decompose naturally. Later we add it to the soil in our new planting beds. Look for composting classes and workshops, which are offered annually. Adding compost to your planting beds will:

  • Loosen clay soils and bind sandy soils together.
  • Hold nutrients in the soil, so less fertilizer is needed.
  • Encourage micro-biotic activity which improves soil health.

Being a Good Neighbor

We remove invasive ornamental plants from the Garden to ensure that Red Butte Canyon remains in its natural state. Seeds from these non-native plants can easily be dispersed by wind or animals and can take over entire natural landscapes, depriving native wildlife of their habitat needs and dramatically altering our environment. It is especially important that residents in and around the Valley consider how the plants they choose for their own yards may impact the surrounding foothills. This practice is part of being a good neighbor to our adjacent natural landscape.

Be cautious of these invasive plants in your garden:

  • Money Plant (Lunaria)
  • Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
  • Dyer’s Woad (Isatis tinctoria )
  • Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)
  • Wild Morning Glory (Convolvulus arvensis )

Drought Tolerant Plants

You can find many drought tolerant plants throughout the Garden. Our largest collection can be found in the entrance drive.

Recommended Drought Tolerant Plants:

  • Lavender (Lavendula x intermedia 'Grosso')
  • Hummingbird Mint (Agastache sp.)
  • Mallow (Sphaeralcea munroana)
  • Four o’clock, (Mirabilus multiflora)
  • Primrose (Oenothera sp.)
  • Palmer’s penstemon (Penstemon palmeri)

 

Tips for planting drought tolerant plants:

  • Cluster drought tolerant plants together.
  • Put them on the same irrigation system.
  • Only water when soil 2” below the surface is dry.

Native Plants

Utah is home to a beautiful variety of plant species, many of which make perfect garden plants. When you plant a variety of species you see a lower number of specialized pests and a higher number of pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Some recommended native plants include:

  • Bristlecone Pine (Pinus)
  • Sagebrush (Artemesia)
  • Oregon Grape (Mahonia)
  • Saltbrush (Atriples)
  • Penstemons (Penstemon)
  • White Fir (Abies)
  • Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus)
  • Lupine (Lupinus)

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the combination of control strategies to reduce pests to an acceptable level and cause the least harm to people and the environment.

  • Plant a variety of plant species that attract natural predators
    such as ladybugs and Praying mantids.
  • Learn to identify insects in different life stages.
  • Monitor plants closely.
  • Increase tolerance of pest damage.
  • Use physical and cultural controls.
  • When the acceptable level of damage has been exceeded then choose the least toxic pesticide such as horticultural soaps or oils.