Carolina Yard Actions Checklist - Plants

Determine your soil pH.
Credit: 3 inches.

Reduce the need for water, fertilizer, pesticides and pruning by using plants suited to the site conditions in your yard.
Credit: 2 inches.

Group plants according to their maintenance needs. For example, group drought-tolerant plants with low-water needs separately from lawn areas.
Credit: 2 inches.

Determine how much grass you need for children, pets and recreation. Use low-maintenance ground covers, shrubs, mulch or other porous surfaces where possible.
Credit: 3 inches.

Save energy by using trees and shrubs to shade the air conditioner compressor and eastern and western walls of your home.
Credit: 1 inch.

Use deciduous trees or shrubs on southern exposures to allow sun to passively heat your home in the winter.
Credit: 1 inch.

Help stop the spread of invasive exotic plants, like kudzu, by removing them from your yard. Contact the Dept. of Plant Industry office for more information on invasive plants.
Credit: 2 inches.

Reduce yard waste by choosing plants that will not require frequent pruning when they reach maturity.
Credit: 1 inch.

Preserve native plants, especially trees, when building on a new site. Maintain a protective "do not disturb" barrier under the dripline of trees.
Credit: 3 inches.

___Total Inches