What type of vegetation do I have?

Summary

Now that you have your Rachio set, you may need to set the zones' attributes on the app. You may wonder what is vegetation type or zone type and how it is used, right? This article will help you out with this! It's important to have it correctly set because it affects your watering.



The vegetation type is used to help determine watering durations. Each vegetation or plant type has a different crop coefficient, which is used in determining evapotranspiration. The higher the coefficient number, the more water the plant uses.

Why do I need to enter my vegetation type for each zone?

Vegetation is used initially to determine watering minutes for your zones. Each vegetation or plant has a different crop coefficient, which is used in determining evapotranspiration. There may be several crop coefficients used for a single crop throughout an irrigation season depending on the crop’s stage of development. The higher the coefficient number, the more water the plant uses.

Vegetation types

To double-check your vegetation selections, see the description for each vegetation type below:

Cool Season Grass

Coefficient: 0.70

These grasses grow best when temperatures are between 65-80 degrees F, which is why they do most of their growing in the spring and fall. The most common grasses in this category are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and fine fescue.

Warm Season Grass

Coefficient: 0.65

These grasses are originally from sub-tropical regions, which is why they thrive in the hot temperatures of the Southern US. The major grasses in this category are Bermuda grass, centipede grass, St. Augustine grass, bahia grass, and zoysia grass.

Shrubs

Coefficient: 0.50

Shrubs are generally medium-sized bushes that stay less than 20 inches tall. Examples include Azalea, Wintergreen, Hydrangea, Roses, Arborvitae, etc.

Trees

Coefficient: 0.75

This is a catch-all for trees that require significant watering. These could be fruit trees, palm trees, aspen trees, etc.

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Flower Beds (formerly Perennial)

Coefficient: 0.70

Flowers and decorative plants grow best with consistent watering. We’ll support these gardens with regular watering to keep them lush. For succulent gardens, you can save water by selecting “Desert Adapted” instead.

Desert Adapted (formerly Xeriscape)

Coefficient: 0.30

These hearty plants native to desert and steppe are very water efficient. These plants include flowering succulents, iceplant, cacti, agaves and yuccas, shortgrass prairie species, and arid shrubs like rabbit brush and mesquite. They need to be watered about once a week or every two weeks in most conditions.

Vegetable Garden

Coefficient: 0.85

This is a general category for fruit and vegetable gardens. Plant examples include tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, beans, and other tasty vegetation.