Rancho Mission Viejo

OCFA Requirements

Fire safety is a top priority for the California landscaper. Knowing that wildfires are inevitable in our area, we do our best to protect land and assets from potential harm. Implementing a palette with plants adapted to resist fire, spacing plants appropriately when planting, and maintaining plants to their recommended sizes are key in minimizing fire risk.

The Orange County Fire Authority provides guidelines on vegetation management and dictates what plant material may and may not be used in Fuel Modification areas. Plants that produce an excessive amount of dead material, for example, are not ideal since this provides a higher fuel load and allows fire to spread. Plants may also produce flammable chemicals (like resin or oil) which would disqualify their use even though they may be otherwise appropriate to the area.

Plant Health Evaluation & Process

Plant health is one of the fundamental goals of the landscape team. Our first line of defense is the landscape maintenance crew; the primary caretakers of our plants report potential health issues to their supervisors for review. Monarch Environmental inspects independently as third-party horticultural consultants to identify health concerns and recommend treatment. Residents are also a valuable part of the evaluation process, reaching out to Ranch staff when there is a concern with landscape health.

Like good physicians, the landscape team will inspect, monitor, and recommend treatment for rehabilitation. We emphasize building a healthy landscape and addressing the source of plant stress (such as irrigation or nutrient deficiencies) rather than chronically treating minor symptoms (like leaf drop or pest outbreaks). If a plant must be removed, we examine the site for cause of failure to avoid future losses; in rare cases, material may be deemed unsuccessful for the location and replaced with a more reliable species.

Drip Irrigation vs Overhead Irrigation

Drip irrigation is the “underground” irrigation method employed around much of the Ranch. Water lines are just under the top surface of soil which makes them easy to miss. Drip is critical in water conservation efforts, especially during our current drought conditions. It is appropriate in the following:

• Narrow planting beds (generally under 8’ wide)
• Under turf for edges that are inside the first 2’ of border to keep overhead spray from landing on hardscape or roads.
• Plants that do not tolerate water being directly applied to them
• In sparsely planted areas to keep weeds down to a minimum with point source emitters
• For trees to deep water around root zone under canopy
• Around houses and other structures to keep overspray off of them to prevent water damage to paint, walls or structure and staining of windows
• Where wind affects overhead irrigation efficiency
• In areas sensitive to overspray, especially with recycled water. Parking areas, playgrounds and mixed use sites are examples of these.

We also use overhead irrigation where appropriate, such as:

• For areas of dense planting where areas are over 8’ wide
• Medium to large turf areas where head spacing is over 8’ apart
• On slopes where drip would be inefficient to water due to width or size of area
• Some plant materials respond poorly to drip irrigation, so these plants should be planted in their own area for a hydrozone irrigated by overhead irrigation

For more information on current drought conditions, please visit: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx