Watering Wisely IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE EVERY DROP COUNT
BY ANITA CLEVENGER
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GARDEN JABBER
t’s been hard not to panic in the face of statewide drought declarations, announcements of watering restrictions by local water districts and startling photos of a nearly empty Folsom Lake. We’re told that about two-thirds of residential water use is consumed outside. Quick! Let’s take out our lawns! I’ve been thinking of reducing my front lawn, or perhaps removing it altogether, but I’m not going to rush into doing it this spring. I still haven’t figured out a good, maintainable design that takes into account our two shade trees. I need to study what other people have done, visit more water-efficient public gardens, explore tools and information online and consult with a landscaper certified as a “green gardener.” Even if I knew exactly what to do, now is not the time to put in new plants, which would need copious water to survive our long, hot summer. Fall is always a better time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials. In a dry year, it’s even more important to wait. How, then, will I reduce my water consumption? By making sure that all of my irrigation is done as
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efficiently as possible and reducing its frequency. Along with some added water conservation in the house, I should be able to achieve the city of Sacramento’s goal of a 20 to 30 percent reduction. Too often, we waste water. We don’t know how much water our plants need and apply too much. We allow water from sprinklers spill over the sidewalk and into the street. We don’t use shut-off valves on our hoses. We water during the heat of the day when water rapidly evaporates. We water shallowly and often, rather than deeply and infrequently. We can calculate how much water our lawns need by referring to The
UC Guide to Healthy Lawns. Irrigate only until runoff begins, then allow the water to soak in before applying more. Sacramento’s Stage 2 Water Shortage Contingency Plan mandates only two days of watering a week during daylight saving time. This may cause your lawn to look less lush during the summer, but it won’t die. Other UC tips to reduce water needs are to water between 2 and 8 a.m., to aerate your lawn if the soil is too compact, and to “grasscycle,” allowing short clippings to stay on the lawns to decompose, retain moisture and add nutrients. Keeping organic material on the soil is a good idea throughout your
yard and garden. Don’t let your lawn service blow every shred of organic material from under your shrubs, sending dust and other allergens into the air. Mulch retains moisture and keeps roots cool. Apply four to six inches of it to planting beds and around your trees, keeping it at least six inches away from tree trunks. Mulch container plants, too. Trees and shrubs often need additional deep watering during the summer. If you are watering your lawn less, it’s even more critical that you make sure that they are getting enough water. Young trees need regular irrigation. For mature trees, probe the soil 6 to 8 inches below the surface. If it’s dry, water slowly until water penetrates to that level. Repeat when the soil is dry again. Examine your irrigation system for leaks and inefficiencies. If you don’t use drip irrigation for your planting beds, fruit trees and vegetable gardens, consider installing it. Make sure that plants with like watering needs are grouped together. If you have a thirsty plant in the middle of more drought-tolerant ones, either find a way to give it some additional water without oversaturating the rest, move it or take it out altogether. You can still grow vegetables, but choose carefully what you grow and don’t plant more that you will harvest and use. Sacramentans love to grow tomatoes, plants that send down deep roots. According to Lifetime Master Gardener Pam Bone, tests show that those that are watered just once a week are less watery, taste better and are less inclined to develop GARDEN page 39