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Water saving tips has always been essential to Californians, and now it’s more important than ever. California is currently facing one of the worst droughts in history. In fact, for several areas in California, 2013 was the driest year in recorded history. Governor Brown has been calling for all Californians to cut their water use by at least 20-percent. That is why, here are a few smart water saving tips you’ll need to know.
Most people think of mulch as a great way to keep weeds down while making a garden bed look more attractive. However, mulch is also a valuable resource when it comes to saving water. Because it prevents evaporation from the soil, a well-mulched bed will use far less water than one with no mulch or only a thin covering.
If you want to reduce or eliminate the need for sprinklers, choose a drought-tolerant grass that doesn’t need to be watered. You can also invest in a wide variety of drought-tolerant trees and shrubs that won’t need watering except in the very driest of conditions. Redesigning your landscape is a small investment that will help you conserve water and save money on your water bills.
Watering your lawn regularly uses up a huge amount of water, which means that during this time, you should severely limit your sprinkler use. In fact, some areas have made sprinklers illegal, except for on certain days of the week and at certain times of the day. Check with your local Department of Water and Power to see which sprinkler regulations apply to your neighborhood.
If you must water your lawn, make sure that you’re using an efficient sprinkler system. Check routinely for leaks, and keep your sprinklers adjusted so that the water is falling where you need it most – not on the sidewalk or the side of your house.
But one of the better ways and also hard-wearing garden alive throughout a drought is always to take preventative measures. From time to time a drought is going to be predicted far in advanced, or individuals already dealing with a drought will be provided a few days of heavy rain. Should this happen, you need to make chance to setup several rain barrels. Many individuals think this is a period consuming, silly factor to complete. However it could save you many gallons water, and hardly requires any work.
Choosing the barrels will in all probability function as toughest part. You should use your own garbage cans, or mind to your residence improvement store to acquire a handful of 55 gallon plastic drums. These may be expensive and hard to move, so remember that before you go for the store. You’ll most likely desire to cover the very best barrel having a screen of some type to get rid of any undesirable leaves or debris that may cover the rooftop of your dwelling.
After you have your barrels ready, you’re confronted with your decision of where you can place them. Usually throughout rain, there’s the corner or segment of the home that rain tends to pour from. If you’re while using simple method of barrel positioning, just put the barrel under all the places in which you see huge amounts of drainage. However, although this can be the simplest approach to place them, you will not see high volumes of rain inside the barrels.
In order to possess a harder approach to placing the barrels, you should look at fine-tuning your gutter system a little. Should you remove every individual segment and set it in an exceedingly slight slant to make sure that all the water is diverted for the nearest corner of the home, you can put a rain barrel each and every corner. Basically your whole house functions just like a catcher for that rain, rather than a couple of ft price of shingles. This is the way to increase the amount of water your rain barrel will catch.
Following a heavy rain, every individual barrel most likely won’t see greatly rain. Whether it seems like it will not be pouring down rain more soon, it’s smart to empty each barrel into one primary central barrel. Seal it and save it taken care of, for if you might need it. Then next time it starts to rain, you’ll have the ability to rapidly invest your catching barrels into position without needing to take with you all the water you’ve gathered up to now.
Using water barrels might seem as an old idea. However, when you’re at the time of the drought and you’re in a position to spare that extra number of gallons for that garden additionally the town allotment, you’ll be thankful just for of cash and time you invested in collecting everything rain. It just takes a couple of outings out outside every time it starts to sprinkle, and you’ll be a really happy garden enthusiast when water isn’t so abundant.
If you are a novel reader which has a limitless method to obtain water, consider yourself lucky. You will find a lot of us who reside in drought zones where the garden and lawn watering rules are incredibly constrictive towards the healthy growth and development of gardens and plants. Lots of people just quit once they discover how handful of gallons water they’re permitted to utilize, but some individuals have just found methods to handle less water.
There are many more water saving tips to practice inside and outdoors. Check with your local water department or utility company for even more great ideas. With California facing a severe water shortage, saving water during the drought is the socially responsible thing to do.
Looking for more water saving tips for your garden during drought season? Call 805-773-5395 or 
We live in a day and age when water conservation and “going green” are big ideas. We’ve come to understand that our times of scarcity can be lessened if we take care to only use what we need; even when the resources are plentiful. If you are wondering how you can care for a garden while conserving water, then check out these tips!
• If you want to keep the water from evaporating before the plants get a drink, then water the plants first thing in the morning, before the day gets too hot. Also, don’t sprinkle! Using sprinklers wastes water and does not help your plant as much because the water usually only falls on the plant leaves and then evaporates.
• Try slowly watering your plants at their roots to make sure they are getting the most out of the water that you use. You could try irrigation systems. They aren’t expensive and are easy to use. Trickle irrigation systems that provide small amounts of water to the base of individual plants are available. This makes sure that the water you use is going where it is needed the most.
• Plants with limited roots such as young or newly planted trees and flowers will suffer the worst during a drought, so make them your first priority when watering. Plants that have been in the ground for a while, especially native plants, are more capable of withstanding drought conditions. Try collecting water from the downspouts of your roof when it rains. Collecting runoff can help you have a source of water to use during drought seasons.
• Don’t forget to mulch your plants! Mulch helps lessen how much water evaporates from the gardening soil. You can use organic mulch like grass clippings and tree bark or you can even purchase plastic mulch to help preserve water.
• One way to slowly-water your plant is by using a plastic bottle, such as a 2-liter soda bottle. Punch a few small holes in the bottom of the bottle, fill it to the neck with water and replace the cap. Place it in the soil and use the cap to regulate the flow of water. Make sure when you are indoor gardening, you do not over water your plants. Over watering your plants can in fact kill them which are the number one reason that most houseplants die. Test the soil for moisture to see if it needs more watering. Stick you index finger into the soil and if it is damp, do not water your plant further.
• When planting a new rose bush, be sure to prune the canes to about eight inches before you plant the rose in the ground. Also, remove decayed wood at the ends of the canes. Pruning a new rose will encourage it to grow more quickly. Keep in mind when you are pruning, try and cut the canes at a 45-degree angle to help the plant to shed water.
• When you are organic gardening in a humid environment, water your plants in the early morning hours. This will help you prevent mildew. Watering in the morning also prohibits fungal growth that can occur in humid climates. You do not want mildew or fungal diseases to spread; it can lead to poor growth and unhealthy soil.
• When planting your tomatoes in your organic garden, you should always be sure you water them very deeply, but you shouldn’t water them frequently because this can damage them. You should aim to water them around once a week except for during the summer when you should water them every five days.
• If your garden is in the city, there are a few things you can do to lessen city noise. Try putting a water feature in your garden like a waterfall or fountain. This will create white noise that will deaden the effects of traffic noise. Add wind chimes, if you like, for additional distraction.
• When you plant a new tree, make sure you are watering it enough. Trees need a lot of water as it is. Planting a new tree, or transplanting an existing tree, is a shock for the plant. Water daily for the first few weeks until the tree gets well established.
Watering plants can be a pain, especially if you have a lot of them. After spending lots of time making trips with a watering can, you’re probably ready for a new, more efficient way to water your plants. The easiest way to keep your plants watered is to use plant wicks. With this foolproof method, you can keep one or many plants watered easily. The best part is that you can use plant wicks on your houseplants, or for containers on your deck or patio.
The first things you will need are some plant wicks. You can buy plant wicks at your local garden center for a few dollars apiece, or you can make your own. You can use thick cotton shoelaces, loosely braided strips of fabric or other absorbent materials to make a plant wick. You will also need either a bucket to hold water, or an assortment of bottles. If you choose to use bottles, make sure you have one for each plant.
The set-up is easy. First, cut your plant wicks so that they will extend from the bottom of your water container to three inches below the soil line of the potted plant. Bury the plant wick near the roots of your plant, and place the other end of the plant wick in the container you’ve chosen as your water source. Fill the container with water, and you’re done! However, you will want to monitor your plant wicks for a few days. If the wick ever feels like it has dried out, that is probably because the wick material isn’t absorbent enough.
To keep your plants healthy and happy, make sure you inspect the plant wicks every couple of weeks. If it seems like they’re molding or rotting, you should replace them so your plants don’t get sick. When it comes to selecting a container to use as a water reservoir, the choices are endless. Some people like to use the reservoirs as an extra decorative touch to their indoor gardens. Glass bottles work well for this since you can paint or decorate them however you like. For efficiency’s sake, many people like to use a large bucket. That way, potted plants can be placed all around the bucket, letting you water several pots from one reservoir.
Use these tips to keep your garden gorgeous! If you need more help with water conservation, talk to us. Schedule an Appointment Now 805-773-5395