Janet Hartin Environmental Horticulturist Keeping Plants Alive Under Drought and Water Restrictions in the Coachella Valley Sustainability “meeting the needs of today’s population without diminishing the ability of future populations to meet their needs.” Why Garden Sustainably? Save Money Improve Garden Health Protect Water Quality and Wildlife Sustainable Landscaping…… Leaves a greener footprint for our children’s children Sustainable Landscapes • Incorporate plants suitable for climate/location • Conserve water • Nurture and protect soil • Prevent/reduce pest problems • Conserve energy/Reduce pollution • Encourage wildlife Select plants recommended for your Sunset Zone And Microclimate USDA Zone 9 (Not As Specific As Sunset Zones) Sunset Zones Are Smaller and More Accurate Riverside County Includes Zones 13 (desert) and 18 and 19 (valley cities) Let’s Look at Drought Efficient Examples for Sunset Zone 13 (Coachella Valley) Acacia pravissima (small tree) - Yellow flowers - Attract birds - Fast growing Acacia rigidula Blackbrush acacia (Shrub or small tree) ‐ Tolerates heat and drought but also irrigation seepage from nearby lawns ‐ Bark and foliage nice contrast Grevillea ‘Canberra Gem’ (shrub or small tree) ‐ Bright red flowers In spring ‐ Relatively disease and insect resistant Parkinsonia hybrid ‘Desert Museum’ (Palo Verde) ‐ Excellent thornless , sturdy specimen tree ‐ Grows to 30’ ‐ Deep yellow flowers Fremontodendron californicum (shrub or small tree) ‐ Yellow flowers in spring ‐ Fast growing ‐ Glossy green foliage Acacia redolens ‘Prostrata’ Prostrate Acacia (groundcover) ‐ Grows to 1‐2’ tall, spreading ‐ Rapid coverage for slopes ‐ Great for erosion control Wedelia trilobata Yellow Dot (Groundcover) ‐ Rapid spreading to 1‐1/2’ high and 6’ wide ‐ Dark green leaves accentuate yellow flowers in summer ‐ Takes some shade Shade, wind, poor soil, power lines, etc. Sustainable Landscapes Conserve Water Through: 1. Hydrozoning 2. Scheduling irrigations based on plant needs 3. Making sure sprinklers/drip systems work properly 4. Using mulch and soil amendments effectively Hydrozoning: Placing plants with similar water needs in the same irrigation zone Plant Water Use • Varies Among Species • Influenced By Climate and Microclimate (as previously discussed) • Varies by Density of Planting Adjusting your irrigation timer seasonally can save a lot of water and keep plants healthy! (‘Smart” controllers are only as smart as the dummy who programmed them.) Monthly Reference Evapotranspiration (ETo) (water used by cool season turfgrass) 12 Reference Evapotranspiration (in./mon) Palm Springs Riverside 10 San Francisco 8 6 4 2 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Month Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA) = (ETo) (0.7) (LA) (0.62) ETo = Reference Evapotranspiration (inches per year) 0.7 = ET Adjustment Factor LA = Landscaped Area (square feet) 0.62 = Conversion factor (to gallons) *Maximum Applied Water Allowance = _______ gallons/year Example of Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA): Hypothetical Landscape Area = 5,000 sq ft MAWA = (Eto) (0.7)* (LA) (0.62)** MAWA = (71.5) (0.7) (5,000 sq ft) (0.62) MAWA = 155,155 gallons per year *ET Adjustment Factor ** Conversion factor from inches to gallons ‐ High water using plants use as much water as cool season grass. ‐ Medium water using plants use about 30 percent less. ‐ Low water using plants (drought tolerant) use 50 ‐ 90 percent less. Low, Medium and High Water Use Hydrozones Drought Efficient Landscape (requires regular water until established (first season) then cut back Consult these Resources for Help Determining Irrigation Needs of a Wide Range of Plants: Water Use Collection (UCD) ‐ http://ucanr.edu/sites/WUCOLS/ ‐ Local Water Districts http://www.cvwd.org/ http://www.dwa.org/ ‐ Living Desert/Wellness Park, etc. http://www.livingdesert.org/ http://www.dhcd.org/Wellness‐Park Water Needs of the Same Species are Higher in Heat Islands • Landscape plants in heat islands require up to 50% more water than the same species in a park setting The Denser The Planting, the More Water it Needs Examples of Dense landscapes Examples of Low Density Landscapes Requiring Less Water than Denser Ones Water an inch or Two Below the Current Root Zone to Draw Roots Down ‐ Avoid runoff (common in heavy clay soils) ‐ Avoid losing water below the root zone (common in sandier soils) Irrigate Established Plants Less Often But Deeper Than Newly Planted Ones (Most overwatering occurs in established landscapes while most underwatering occurs in newly planted landscapes) Monitor Soil Moisture with a Probe, Trowel, or Straightened Metal Coat Hanger Drip systems apply water directly into root zones, reducing soil evaporation. They are recommended for non‐turf/groundcover plantings. Irrigate outward in the root zone of the plant (left). Incorrect (right). Keep plant crown dry. Sprinkler systems are recommended for irrigating turf and groundcovers but need to be checked regularly for problems such as: • • • • Broken heads Sunken heads Non‐vertical heads Wrong spacing Irrigation system wastes more water than the lawn Warm‐Season Lawns (Bermuda, Buffalo) Use Less Water than Cool‐season Lawns (Tall Fescue, Rye) Lawn Watering Guide for California http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8044.pdf Misleading advertising – cool season grass uses 25 percent or more water than warm season grass and neither are low maintenance. If you have a lawn, grasscycle or compost clippings! • Saves time/money • Adds organic matter to lawn • Recycles nutrients • Reduces greenwaste in landfills Water cycling may be necessary to avoid run‐off when using sprinklers. Divide the total amount of water required per day into 2‐4 cycles applied closely together before soil dries out. If you’re no longer using and enjoying your lawn, consider replacing it with a lower maintenance, drought tolerant alternative. Turf is a poor choice in small and oddly shaped areas and on slopes! Consider replacing turf with low maintenance drought efficient alternative groundcovers Acacia redolens ‘Desert Carpet’ Baccharis ‘Centennial’ Dalea greggii Other Methods to Conserve Water in the Landscape Minimize the use of water to clean sidewalks and driveways Remove weeds that compete with landscape plants for water Improve waterholding capacity and/or drainage with compost mixed evenly into soil (6” – 1’ deep) Don’t Let Water Get Away! Permeable surfaces Infiltration Basins Water Collection Consider Recycling Graywater (‘laundry to landscape’ systems) on non‐edibles Apply Mulch Around Plants Mulch Conserves Water and Beautifies Landscapes Keep mulch several inches away from tree trunks and avoid volcanoes! Avoid Over‐fertilizing (non edibles need very little) • Creates flushes of weak growth • Increases water requirement • Leads to waterway pollution Runoff contributes to pesticide and nitrate/phosphate pollution in our waterways Following are Suggested Methods To Maintain Various Landscape Plants During Water Restrictions and Severe Drought Trees and Shrubs (prioritize them over flowers/lawns) • One or two deep irrigations with a garden hose several weeks apart in spring and summer will often keep these valued plants alive through summer Fruit and Nut Trees • Keeping them alive and producing fruit may not be possible. • To produce a good crop, deciduous fruit and nut trees need adequate water in their root zones continuously from bloom until harvest. Vegetables • Vegetables are difficult to maintain during a drought. • Water is most critical from seedling stage through root establishment and during flowering and fruiting. (Con’d) • Tomatoes, beans, and root crops such as carrots require regular watering and are not drought tolerant. • Vine crops such as squash and zucchini often fare better and can be kept alive with a few waterings once or twice a week through the season. Groundcovers • Groundcovers often survive on about half the amount of water received under optimal conditions. • To avoid serious drought stress non-native thirsty groundcovers need irrigation monthly spring through fall. Yellow Dot Lawns (maybe it’s time to switch?) • Traditional warm-season lawns (bermuda and buffalograss) are more drought-resistant than cool season grasses (ryes and tall fescues) and may come back after several weeks of dryness. • Reduce irrigation to ½ of recommendations in the UC lawn watering guide (http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf8044.pdf) Thank you! Janet Hartin Email: [email protected] Phone: (951)313‐2023 Coachella Valley MG Helpline: Ph: (760) 342-6437 E-mail: [email protected]
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