How to Do a Landscaping Site Assessment

Think of your property as a miniature landscape with its own unique topography and microclimate. When it’s time to upgrade the design of your landscape, one of the first things you’ll need to do is a site assessment. Here’s how.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Property map
• Notepad and pencil
• Soil test kit (optional)
• Long screwdriver
• Camera
• Tape measure

1. Assess what you already have and decide which elements you would like to keep, like a favorite tree, and which elements need to change. Make notes on your map and in your notebook.
2. Take photographs of the plantings and the property. These photos will come in handy when consulting with an extension officer or the expert at the local nursery.
3. Contact your local utility companies and ask them to indicate where underground power cables are buried.
4. Take measurements where necessary so that you can make accurate estimates of how much sod, seed or minerals you may need for soil amendments.
5. Analyze soil drainage and leverage the layout you already have by choosing plants that work best in wet and dry areas.
6. Test your soil’s pH levels. You’ll have to take samples from different areas of your yard, because pH can vary widely, even in a small space. If you don’t want to do the test yourself, contact your local extension office, and they’ll test it for you.
7. Examine the topography of your property. Areas that are too steep can cause runoff and erosion problems. Signs of runoff include exposed tree roots and widening gullies. Combat erosion by reshaping the land, and add plantings that reduce runoff.
8. Take note of any compacted soil on your property. Try to drive a long screwdriver into the ground in different areas. If this is difficult, the soil may be compacted. High-traffic areas are easily compacted.
9. Take note throughout the day of sun and shade patterns in your yard. You’ll need this information to determine which plants will do best in warm and cool locations.
10. Determine the climate conditions of your property. Cool windy areas will require a different treatment from warm sunny areas.
11. Consult with your family about how the property will be used. Will you have a pool or a basketball court in the back yard? Property usage will affect your design and the plants you use.
12. Decide how much effort you want to put into the upkeep of the landscape and design accordingly. Colorful desert landscaping is less labor intensive than maintaining a lush lawn.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that sun and shade patterns will vary throughout the year, so it’s never too early to take note of the patterns on your property.
• Trees and shrubs will grow over time and change the sun and shade patterns on your property.
• Never dig in your yard without knowing where underground cables are located.

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