- Main ZIP
- 90807
- Soil Type
- Heavy Clay
- Clay In Topsoil
- 31%
- Sand In Topsoil
- 25%
- Elevation
- 38 to 111 ft
- Miles To The Shore
- 4.1
- Empty Street Tree Sites
- 389
- Typical Home Built
- 1961
The Ground In Los Cerritos
USDA maps this as Thums and Windfetch soils. Thums tops out near 31 percent clay in the surface layer and is a shrink and swell clay. Most of the points we checked are zoned I, which means commercial or industrial.
Parts of Los Cerritos map differently too, with Sandy Loam Flats showing up at other points we sampled. One block can differ from the next.
| Soil | Share Of Map Unit | Clay | Sand | pH | Drainage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thums | 20% | 31% | 25% | 7.6 | Well drained |
| Windfetch | 15% | 22% | 40% | 7.6 | Well drained |
What That Means For Your Yard
- Water in short cycles with a soak between them, or it runs off and breaks the Long Beach runoff rule.
- Clay that swells moves things. Pavers and walls need a real base.
- Do not dig or till when it is wet, since that packs it hard for the whole season.
Plants That Tend To Fit Here
- Toyon
- Coffeeberry
- California fuchsia
- Lavender
- Deer grass
- Olive
Weather And Homes
About 4.1 miles inland, this area runs warmer and drier than the shore in summer. Plants here use more water, so good coverage and mulch pay back fast under the same three day watering limit.
Census figures for the tracts here put the typical home at about 1961. Many yards from that era still have their first sprinkler lines and foundation shrubs, and much of that is ready to go. Replacing old lines at the same time you redo a bed saves a second dig.
About 58 percent of homes in these tracts are owner occupied and about 60 percent are houses. With a mix like that, low care plantings are often the better buy on a rental, while an owner may want more.
Your Parkway And Street Trees
A city tree inventory logged 389 empty street tree sites in this neighborhood. The typical logged parkway there is about 9 feet wide. If one is in front of your place, the city runs a free street tree program. Ask for a parkway tree before you plan the rest of the strip.
Your parkway follows the same city rule as the rest of Long Beach. Fake turf is out, and street trees belong to the city, so trimming one takes a Public Works permit. If you still have living lawn there, Long Beach Utilities runs a free native plant parkway kit.
Popular Work In Los Cerritos
Questions We Hear
What kind of soil does Los Cerritos have?
USDA maps this as Thums and Windfetch soils. Thums tops out near 31 percent clay in the surface layer and is a shrink and swell clay. It is also rated well drained. Your own yard may differ, especially if soil was brought in, so a test is cheap insurance.
Can I put artificial turf in my Los Cerritos parkway?
No. City code limits parkways to living plants plus permeable materials such as mulch, decomposed granite or pavers on sand, and those must cover under half of the strip. Turf is allowed in the front yard itself.
What days can I water in Los Cerritos?
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m., for up to 10 minutes per station, under the Level 1 rules from Long Beach Utilities.