Maintain Your Garden

Now That Your Lawn is Gone: Post Sheet Mulching
Now That Your Lawn is Gone: One Year Check In
Now That Your Lawn is Gone: Ongoing Maintenance

Congratulations...you have successfully transformed your lawn into a garden! But, now what? Sheet mulching your lawn is the first step in creating a drought-tolerant and low-maintenance landscape. We've pulled together some best practices for maintaining your new garden now, and in the years to come. It is particularly important to focus on these practices during the first year after sheet mulching. Watch the videos to the right or download our Now That Your Lawn is Gone brochure for more details.

Best Practices for Watering:

  • Hand-water new plants until they are established.
  • Look for signs of under- or over-watering. 
  • Turn off your irrigation during the rainy season.

​Best Practices for Controlling Weeds:

  • Use sheet mulching to create a weed barrier in susceptible zones.
  • Plant bulbs or wildflowers, such as CA poppies, in empty spaces.
  • Manage weeds as needed. 

Best Practices for Maintaining Healthy Soil:

  • Topdress with ½ inch compost in the spring and fall. 
  • Mulch annually with wood chips or other organic material.
  • Let leaves slowly decompose or collect them for mulching.

Best Practices for Plant Health:

  • Periodically deadhead, or remove spent flowers, for continued plant growth.
  • Prune in the winter and plant in the fall. 
  • Divide bulbs, tubers and certain perennials to promote fuller growth.

Best Practices for Controlling Insect Pests:

  • Use an IPM approach to managing insect pests.
  • Maintain healthy plants with proper pruning, fertilizing and soil conditioning.
  • Use less toxic pesticides for aphid, whitefly and spider mite infestation.