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| Surviving the Drought: water-wise front yard, Redondo Beach CA |
What
a stressful time for California gardens and gardeners! We’re into the fourth year of the worst
drought on record. Many gardeners must decrease
water consumption by 25% or more; and even water-wise gardens are beginning to
show the long-term effects. So, what’s a
gardener to do to survive the drought?
Those
who installed water-wise gardens well before the drought are fortunate; an established
water-wise garden has the best potential to survive until the next rainy
season. This is particularly true if
last winter’s meager rains were supplemented with winter/spring
irrigation.
Some
readers installed water-wise gardens more recently – or not at all. Your challenge is greater, but not
insurmountable. You’ll need to water a little smarter, and revise your
expectations; some plants won’t make it, given current restrictions. In the wilds and in our gardens, four years
of drought are difficult for young plants to survive.
Remember
that young plants – even those that are water-wise – need extra water for the
first summer (grasses; smaller shrubs) or up to the first 3-4 years (large
shrubs and trees). A good rule of thumb for
California native plants is twice the recommended (mature) water for the first summer;
1 ½ times for the second summer and 1 ¼ times the third summer.
Much
has been written on ways to reduce water consumption. Some of the tips below are nothing new; you’ve heard them
before from your water company or other sources. But any idea merits consideration these days,
and a few may be new to you. Hopefully,
these tips will help save water and
permit your garden to survive in the best shape possible.
- Conserve as much water indoors as possible. Short showers, sponge baths if
feasible, low-flow toilets, doing full washer loads, etc. Water saved in
the home can be used to water your garden. - Use ‘clean’ house water to provide extra water to
vulnerable plants. When you heat shower water, wash hands and
rinse dishes, collect the water in a bucket or dish pan. Use it on plants that need a little
extra water. You’ll be surprised
how much water you collect every day. If your local codes allow it, consider the pros and cons of
using gray water (more on this in a future post). - Check for water leaks, indoors and out. Are there leaks in irrigation valves,
pipes, hose bibs, hoses, drip irrigation tubes? Even a slow leak can waste significant
amounts of water. Do a quick check
of irrigation systems every couple of weeks. Fix leaks - or at least collect the water
and use it. Listen for toilets
running when they shouldn’t be (you have to get close to the toilet or the
pipes to hear it). Toilets with
slow leaks are a common home water waster.
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| Surviving the Drought: let dry conditions hasten lawn removal |
- Turn off the water to your lawn if you plan to
replace it. Now is a great time to let Mother Nature
help remove the old lawn. Put up a sign
informing your neighbors that you’re replacing the lawn with a water-wise
alternative; make it colorful and/or humorous. Remind passersby that ‘Gold is the New
Green’ and that California has always been both green and golden.
Removing
a lawn is the patriotic thing to do in Southern California and other dry
regions. And waiting to replant until next winter is the smart way to go.
- Withhold water from plants you want to remove. Most gardens contain plants that are old, unsightly, too big,
sickly, etc. Why waste water on
them? If feasible, let Mother
Nature hasten their demise; the job of removal will be easier as well. Once again, a well-placed sign will
help allay neighbor’s fears that you are abandoning your yard. - Prioritize your plants. Big and/or
important plants should get first priority in terms of water. Shade trees, arbor vines, fruit trees,
vegetable crops – any plant that provides important services to your
family – those are the plants that deserve the water. Smaller plants and those that grow
quickly – including ornamental grasses and bedding plants – can be
replaced when conditions improve.
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| Surviving the Drought: group plants by water needs (Water Zones) |
- Review your Water Zones (hydrozones): If you planted a ‘New
California Garden’ (see http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2013/07/designing-your-new-california-garden-1.html
) your plants are grouped based on water needs (Water Zones). Review the Water Zone concept (http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/04/water-wise-gardening-tip-save-water.html
). Plants that are Water Zone 2
need only be watered when the ground is dry at a depth of 3-4 inches. Check the soil before you water; established
Zone 2 plants may require water only once a month.
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| Surviving the Drought: mature citrus trees are water-wise. |
- Review the water needs of trees and shrubs. Trees/shrubs from dry climates
do best with occasional deep water.
If you have mature trees/shrubs from dry climates – including
citrus trees, olives, eucalyptus, mediterranean herbs and others from S.
Africa, Australia or the Mediterranean region – water them monthly or
less. Slowly water with a hose to
deeply water. The plants will
likely be more healthy and productive. - Water early/late in the day and on cooler days. If you garden with water-wise native
plants, the weather report is your best ally. Wait for a period of cooler weather
(with more clouds or the marine layer) to water your native plants. For optimal plant health, summer water
at times that are followed by several days of relatively cooler weather. Hot, moist soils promote root fungi and
other plant diseases. - Conserve
soil moisture with mulch. We’ve
written before about the use of mulches (http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/07/understanding-mulches_23.html
). Some local native plants
normally need only a thin layer of mulch.
In the current drought we recommend adding an additional 1-2 inches
to the recommended mulch depths. If
next winter brings lots of precipitation, simply rake away the excess
mulch. Remember to leave a 6-12
inch mulch-free zone around tree/shrub trunks.
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| Surviving the Drought: add a little extra mulch |
- Keep irrigation water at ground level. Evaporation is a problem with all
overhead irrigation (even the new, water-wise sprinklers). The more irrigation you do at ground
level, the more water actually gets into the soil.
If
you currently water shrubs, trees and perennials with overhead sprinklers,
consider purchasing some inexpensive soaker hoses to get you through the
summer. The porous ones made from
recycled tires are great; they’re inexpensive, readily available and come in
several lengths. Soaker hoses can be positioned where water is needed, covered
with mulch, and attached to a garden hose when watering. Even
if you return to other irrigation methods in the future, soaker hoses can help get
your plants through the drought.
- Insure that irrigation water goes where it’s
needed. Check the placement of soaker hoses and
drip irrigation – are they really watering the plant root tips (often near
the drip line) or do they need to be moved?
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| Surviving the Drought: use hose-sprinklers |
- Consider using a sprinkler attached to a hose
rather than conventional irrigation systems this summer. Hand irrigation allows more flexibility
in the placement and amount of water.
Many of the old-fashioned
(and inexpensive) oscillating, whirling or stationary hose sprinklers lose
less water to evaporation than conventional sprinklers. They can be positioned and adjusted to
water precisely as needed. If
feasible, consider using them – in at least some areas of the garden - this
summer. - Direct the water precisely when watering new or
vulnerable plants.
When providing additional water to individual plants, be sure that the
water goes just where it’s needed. Trickle-watering
with a hose is one idea.
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| Surviving the Drought: make a trickle-water bucket |
We
also use 5-gallon plastic paint or utility buckets for directed slow-watering. Just drill a 1/8 inch hole in the side of the
bucket, 1 ½ inches up from the bottom. Place
the bucket near the plant, fill it with water, direct the flow and let the watering
bucket do the rest.
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| Surviving the Drought: trickle-water buckets in action |
This
is an extremely efficient ways to water individual plants (we use these buckets
in restoration projects as well as in the garden). For larger plants, place
several buckets, as needed, around the drip line. Watering buckets are easily filled with the
water saved in Tip #2, above.
- Move potted plants to slightly cooler/shadier
positions.
Potted plants need more water than
those in the ground. Consider
moving potted plants to a slightly shadier position (for example, a place
with afternoon shade) during the summer.
Plants will likely thrive, and water requirements will decrease.
Another
trick is to double-pot. In this method,
the plant is planted in an inner pot (clay is best for water-wise plants) with
a diameter 2-6 inches less than that of the decorative outer pot. A 2-4 inch layer of gravel is placed in the
bottom of the outer pot; the inner pot is then placed inside the outer pot. The
layer of air between the two pots helps keep the plant roots cool and decreases
evaporation.
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| Surviving the Drought: move pots to shadier places |
- Provide some afternoon shade where feasible. Many water-wise plants – even those that
like sun – will do fine with a little afternoon shade. If you can figure a way to provide some shade, do so. - Learn from Mother Nature. While the current drought is
historic, it’s likely a good indicator of things to come. Climate predictions suggest that
Southern California will experience more
extreme weather in the future; some years will be dry (like this one)
and others will bring excess precipitation.
The past four years have provided excellent
lessons about which water-wise plants are ‘super-survivors’; we’ll discuss our
conclusions in a coming post. But keep good notes on plants in your own garden.
You may conclude that some plants are
just too difficult to maintain during drought conditions. What you learn today will help you plan for a
water-wise, life-friendly future.
- Taper off water to S. California native plants in
late summer. Remember that many California native
plants need a dry ‘rest period’ in fall. Plants that normally experience summer
monsoons (Sonoran Desert and some Baja California plants; Chaparral shrubs, especially those from
San Diego County) usually need some water in August. Decrease water to the rest, beginning in
mid- to late August.
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| Surviving the Drought: provide water for birds & insects |
- Provide a little drinking water for birds,
butterflies and pollinators. Drought
is tough on all living things.
Provide water for birds and insects; it takes just a
little water to keep these garden visitors alive. - Be realistic: some plants will not make
it. It’s really hard to
lose a plant, particularly one that you love or have lavished time/energy
on. But the harsh reality is that some plants will not survive the
drought, no matter what you do.
That’s bitter medicine that we’re all having to swallow.
In
Mother Nature’s Backyard and other gardens we’ve already lost several large
shrubs; we’re keeping a wary eye on our Bigberry manzanita and hope it
survives. So you’re not alone – or a
poor gardener – if you lose some plants this summer. If it’s any consolation, Mother Nature
herself (the ultimate Master Gardener) is having a tough time this year!
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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