DRY WINTERS ON THE SAN FRANCISCO PENINSULA
On one of my site visits in January 2021, to a landscape I designed, I was sad to see the plants suffering from the lack of water. It was obvious that the irrigation was turned off and that the plants were stressed and some were even on the verge of dying.
Kind of an unusual problem to have in the middle of winter!
We need irrigation even in the winter sometimes when there is no rain. Especially at risk are plants under overhangs and on the south and west sides of the home.
In a drought cycle there are a few tips for saving water in the landscape:
– Use a thick mulch layer around plants to retain moisture. Be sure and pull mulch away from the plant crowns.
– Established shrubs don’t need much water. Soak deeply twice a week in the warm weather.
– Lawns are shallowly rooted. Water 3 times a week for 10-12 minutes. Many cities require a cut back to 2 times per week but its very hard on the lawn. Aerate lawn yearly to help water percolate in.
Longer time increment isn’t usually needed.
– Water in the early mornings to avoid evaporation and for the water to soak in.
– Pots need to be watered very often. Consider skipping the use of potted plants in the drought or planting existing potted plants in the garden. (without the pot)
– Replace lawns with mulch and low water requiring plants like the plants shown here. Even replacing a percentage of the lawn will help with water conservation and will be healthier for the environment. Lawn uses tons of water, needs a lot of care and is not very interactive with the environment.
Not sure what to plant in place of lawn? Or need some creative ideas for your garden? I have a helpful resource for you! I wrote up an EBook about landscape design and how to layout a new garden. Even if you do not want to draw plans, this resource book is an excellent help. It gives ideas on materials, proportions, using different garden styles and making a garden that is both practical and beautiful. Here is a link for the EBook- Creating Your Own Outdoor Space.
– Avoid annuals and moisture loving, shallowly rooted plants during the drought. Use scarce water resources to maintain the trees and shrubs in your garden.
Be sure and aid trees by giving deep watering twice per month in the warm seasons. Percolate the water out through a slow running hose in 5-6 locations below the drip line (edge of the foliage) of the trees.
Even the native trees are looking stressed the last few years.
This type of stress can lead to disease and pest problems and the decline of the trees.
Pictured here is a nice mix of low water plants- lavender, zauchneria (epilobium), sedums, euphorbia and chocolate cosmos.
– Check irrigation for leaks, over spray and excessive run times.
Change spray heads to low gallonage type. Be aware of weather patterns and use irrigation for the most needed periods. We have been capturing water in rain barrels at base of roof drains/down spouts and from the condensation of the A/C units for use in the garden.
I will continue to post tips and suggestions on water saving, low water requiring plants and drought issues as things progress.
Did you know that many plants that Deer avoid eating are also drought tolerant? In addition to my Design book, I have a couple of resources for gardening in Deer Country. Avoid Deer and Rodent damage while being successful where animals are browsing and digging. Click the link above for the Design EBook. The Deer list and EBook for gardening in Black Tail Deer Country are listed on the same page.
