Tahoe Friendly Garden Certification

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Tahoe Friendly Garden Certification Program

A Tahoe Friendly Garden will ensure that the right plants are in the right place.

Thank you for your interest in the Tahoe Friendly Garden Program. It is a non-regulatory, voluntary sign-up program administered by the UCCE Master Gardeners of Lake Tahoe. Our goal is to encourage residents of Lake Tahoe to garden in a manner that strives to fit our local conditions.

The Tahoe Friendly Garden Program encourages gardens that use less water, fertilizer and pesticides, and includes a diversity of plants and landscape options.

How to certify your garden in 4 easy steps:

Take the voluntary survey below to see if your current gardening practices qualify your garden.
Receive a “Tahoe Friendly Garden” Certificate.
Proudly post your sticker decal to demonstrate your support.
Encourage your neighbors and friends to participate!

Tahoe Friendly Garden Certification Levels:

Bronze Garden: meet at least 1 gardening practice in each category (water conservation, beneficial wildlife habitat, soil fertility and wildfire safety)
Silver Garden: meet at least 2 gardening practices in each category (water conservation, beneficial wildlife habitat, soil fertility and wildfire safety)
Gold Garden: meet at least 4 gardening practices in each category (water conservation, beneficial wildlife habitat, soil fertility and wildfire safety)

*If you don’t meet the minimum requirements for a “Bronze Tahoe Friendly Garden” at this time, please do not worry. This is an on-going program. Feel free to peruse the resources make adjustments and then come back to the survey. You can also call our office, attend one of our workshops or become a Master Gardener yourself to hone your skills.

✻ = Required

First Name: ✻

Last Name: ✻

Email: ✻

Mailing Address: (to send you your sticker and certificate only) ✻

Phone Number: ✻

Water Conservation: practicing good water management in your garden helps to conserve our precious water supplies and reduces runoff of fertilizer into our watershed. As a bonus your gardens appearance and vigor will also benefit and it will save you TIME!

Vegetation/Lawn

Bronze Garden: Check One
Silver Garden: Check Two
Gold Garden: Check Four or more

Reduce the size of your overall lawn to functional use areas only.

Yes No

Lawn: mow high to encourage deeper, drought tolerant root systems and shade out weeds.

Yes No

Plant and maintain climate-appropriate plants that thrive in local soil and climatic conditions, requiring little water once established.

Yes No

Group plants with similar watering needs, hydro-zoning, and adjust watering schedules accordingly.

Yes No

Control invasive weeds which rob desirable plants from available water, nutrients and sunlight.

Yes No

Apply 2-3" of mulch under and around the base of native and landscape trees and shrubs to retain soil moisture.

Yes No

Watering/Irrigation Systems:

Bronze Garden: Check One
Silver Garden: Check Two
Gold Garden: Check Four or more

Water the soil at the base of the plant.

Yes No

Water in the early morning.

Yes No

Utilize drip or subsurface irrigation, soaker hoses, and/or other types of efficient watering techniques.

Yes No

Maintain irrigation systems regularly to replace damage and adjust to plant needs.

Yes No

Update lawn sprinkler heads to high efficiency sprinkler nozzles to improve distribution, uniformity and reduce runoff.

Yes No

Evaluate soil moisture in plant root zone and adjust irrigation schedule to apply water to the entire root zone to discourage weak shallow root systems.

Yes No

Adjust irrigation schedule to match climatic conditions, at minimum change the irrigation schedule in the spring, summer and fall.

Yes No

Regulate water pressure to meet specific irrigation emitter requirements.

Yes No

Do not over water plants; this just washes nutrients into streams and the groundwater and eventually into the lake.

Yes No

Direct roof runoff to a rain barrel, water collection swales, basins or directly to planted areas.

Yes No

Beneficial Wildlife Habitat: consider the pros and cons of which critters you want to invite in your yard. Berries, seeds and leaves are an important food source for birds, mammals and beneficial insects and plants provide nesting materials and shelter from predators and the elements.

Bronze Garden: Check One
Silver Garden: Check Two
Gold Garden: Check Four or more

Use plants that provide cover, nesting areas and materials or food for birds

Yes No

Provide a fresh water source, moving water all the better (Tips: change stagnant birdbath water every other day, utilize a heater during freezing months)

Yes No

Maintain wildlife shelters: bat house, birdhouse, uncultivated area for ground-nesting native bees and shrubs and native grasses which provide ground cover. (provide at least one of the above)

Yes No

Plant pollinator and nectar plants to provide an attractive and sustaining food source for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficial wildlife.

Yes No

Utilize native plants to support beneficial insects and predators.

Yes No

In the fall, don't deadhead your perennial plants and grasses. Beneficial insects overwinter in these areas and when left to rest, can get a head start on controlling garden pests in the summer.

Yes No

Keep wildlife "wild" by containing all trash or fresh food in bear safe disposal containers or locked safely in your home.

Yes No

Soil Fertility: enhances water infiltration and storage while allowing your garden to thrive.

Bronze Garden: Check One
Silver Garden: Check Two
Gold Garden: Check Four or more

Use slow release and/or natural, organic fertilizers. Fine textured finished compost and grass clippings can provide a locally sourced and natural nutrient source for your landscape.

Yes No

Fertilize only as needed to maintain health, reduce or even eliminate use of fertilizers.

Yes No

Use Phosphorus free fertilizer unless growing a lawn from seed.

Yes No

Fertilize cool season grasses only in the spring and early fall, or just the fall. Not more than ½ to 2/3 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet.

Yes No

Only use fertilizer for specific plant needs (lawn, vegetables, acid loving plants, etc.).

Yes No

Do not fertilize near the shorezone areas or stream environment zones.

Yes No

Keep fertilizer off of hardscapes and don’t use over snow or with the anticipation of rain.

Yes No

Compost garden waste and use it to rebuild your soil so it can feed your plants.

Yes No

During turf conversion, sheet mulch the lawn instead of hauling away to transfer station.

Yes No

Wildfire Safety: minimizes the risk of wildfire by reducing the amount of flammable material. Integrate fire defensible space practices into your home garden and landscape. Follow state laws and local guidelines, http://www.livingwithfire.info/tahoe/

Bronze Garden: Check One
Silver Garden: Check Two
Gold Garden: Check Four or more

Work with your local fire district to complete a fire defensible space survey.

Yes No

Create a fire defensible space landscape zone: 0’–5’ is non-combustible, 5’-30’ is lean, clean and green while the 30’-100’ is the reduced fuel zone.

Yes No

Remove dead and diseased plant materials.

Yes No

Remove excessively deep pine needles each spring.

Yes No

Use non-combustible landscaping materials and remove all flammable mulch or plants within 5 feet of your home.

Yes No

Plant and maintain fire safe (native or adapted) vegetation around your home. Plant material should be low-growing and herbaceous (high moisture content without highly ignitable plant resins or oils).

Yes No

Disconnect potential fuel sources (woody plants) with non-combustible mulch (rock mulch) or other landscape features (i.e. dry creek-beds, gravel or decomposed granite pathway or patios) combined with healthy vegetation (turf, ground covers and low growing native bunch grasses and wildflowers).

Yes No

Participate in your local fire adapted communities neighborhood group.

Yes No

Home-grown food: food gardening at altitude in Lake Tahoe's granite soils can present unique challenges. The high altitude gardener must be conscious of the weather and its effect on growth to be successful. Altitude affects every facet of climate; temperature, humidity and precipitation. Our biggest challenges are length of growing season.

*Growing food in your home Tahoe garden is not a requirement for your garden to be certified Tahoe Friendly. We think it is a fun and educational endeavor that is worth giving it a chance. If you do plan to grow food in your garden we hope that you will grow in a sustainable and Tahoe friendly manner.

Bronze Garden: Check One
Silver Garden: Check Two
Gold Garden: Check Four or more

Plant with high elevation seeds that have the shortest "days to maturity."

Yes No

Jump start seed growth by starting inside. Ensure you harden off seedlings before transplanting to an outside garden.

Yes No

Give your plants shelter. Utilize protective measures to give your plants the best chance of success. Shelter can include: cloches, wall of waters, raised beds, hoop houses, cold frames, greenhouse, hay bales and other protective shelters.

Yes No

Test your soil to amend appropriately and safely. Our native Tahoe soil will most likely be lacking in needed organics for plant vigor.

Yes No

Food and wildlife: utilize safety measures to protect your plants from wildlife. Options include: companion planting, chicken wire around/on top of bulbs, exclusion fencing, and other techniques.

Yes No

Food and irrigation: setting up an efficient irrigation system to water your vegetables and herbs is critical for success and sustainability. Utilize an efficient irrigation system (i.e. drip line, spray emitters, microsprinklers, and/or drip tape).

Yes No