The Utah Division of Water Resources hosted a virtual webinar where agency staff and horticulture experts summarized fall landscape maintenance, water‑wise plant choices and turf‑replacement options for homeowners across the state. Presenters included Candace Shibley of the Division of Water Resources, two regional extension specialists and Adria Dent of the wholesale nursery Perennial Favorites.

The session focused on practical steps residents can take now to establish drought‑tolerant landscapes and how those steps interact with the Division’s lawn‑replacement incentives. "The goal is to support people that are planning and establishing and maintaining water wise or water efficient landscapes," Candace Shibley said at the start of the event. She reminded participants that the landscape incentive program can offer up to $3 per square foot for lawn replaced with water‑efficient landscaping and advised homeowners not to remove living lawn until a project is approved so staff can verify eligibility.

Why it matters: replacing high‑water lawns with drought‑tolerant plants can reduce outdoor water use in Utah’s varied climate zones. The presenters emphasized timing and low‑maintenance choices that improve establishment success and reduce long‑term irrigation needs.

Presenters’ practical guidance

- Pruning and timing: Wes, a Utah State University Extension agent in Heber City, recommended limiting fall pruning to dead, diseased or hazardous branches and waiting until late winter or early spring for routine pruning so plants are not forced to repair wounds before winter dormancy. "Pruning is a wound on these perennials, and we want them to focus on getting acclimated and ready for that winter," he said.

- Planting window: Both extension speakers urged planting and dividing perennials in the fall when soil is warm enough for roots to establish but air temperatures are cooling. Mulch and regular watering until the ground freezes help new plants establish.

- Lawns and fertilization: Fall is the recommended time for final lawn fertilization, and reducing height before winter can lower the risk of snow mold, presenters said.

- Southern Utah specifics: Ryan, who manages the Red Hills Desert Garden and represents Washington County Water Conservancy District, said warmer southern climates should reduce irrigation sooner: "If you have a lot of cactus or other desert succulents in your landscape, by mid‑October you really ought to quit watering them altogether." He noted that shorter days and cooler nights reduce plant water needs even if afternoons still feel warm.

Plant recommendations and turf replacements

Adria Dent, director of the perennial growing operation at Perennial Favorites in Layton, reviewed plants suited to a range of yard positions (back, mid and front borders) and low‑growing groundcovers suitable for park strips and turf replacement. She recommended using local demonstration gardens to test how materials look and feel at scale.

Common‑name highlights (as discussed by Dent): fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium) for back borders; blue mist spirea (Caryopteris) and apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa) for late‑season interest; desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) where climates permit; native grasses such as Indian grass and blue oat grass for texture and winter seed heads; agastache (hummingbird mint), salvias (autumn sage) and skullcap (Scutellaria) for mid and front border color; and low‑growing groundcovers such as creeping thyme, Greek yarrow (Achillea) and certain sedums for walkable lawn replacements. Dent also suggested Prunus besseyi (Pawnee Buttes sand cherry) and low‑spreading GrowLow for larger areas.

She noted some plants exhibit seasonal or climate limits: more frost‑sensitive choices should be held until spring in cooler, higher‑elevation sites; many of the grasses and fescues are cold hardy and work well above 7,000 feet. For irrigation during establishment, she recommended grouping plants by water‑need and placing each group on a separate irrigation zone so an entire planting can be established and then reduced to minimal irrigation.

Questions from attendees and practical clarifications

Attendees asked about full sun vs. part shade, wind tolerance, hard clay soils, high elevation performance and susceptibility to road salt. Dent said many of the recommended species tolerate part shade and heavier clay soils; some grasses and fescues are hardy into cold zones. She recommended specific salt‑tolerant species for landscapes near salted roads and encouraged checking local conservation district trial gardens and the Division’s Waterwise plant lists for regional suitability.

No formal decisions or policy changes were made during the webinar. Presenters said follow‑up materials (slides, recording and links, including the Waterwise plant list and High Country Gardens as a mail‑order option) will be emailed to registrants.

Ending

Speakers closed by reminding homeowners to use the Division’s enrollment and approval process before removing existing turf to qualify for incentives and to consult local demonstration gardens to preview plant choices. The Division will distribute the session recording and resource links to attendees after the event.