Sonoma County Master Gardeners Helping Sonoma Gardeners

Drought is upon us again--officially declared by the Governor this summer, and water will be a scarce commodity. We all need to do what we can in our lives, around the home, and in the yard and garden to conserve water and use it wisely. The 2008 Master Gardener demonstration garden at the Sonoma County Fair--July 22nd to August 4th--is themed "Red, White & Green: a salute to a Water Wise Garden". It highlights water conservation in the garden, illustrating many different ways to achieve garden water thrift.

There are probably four things that are top-tier in saving water in the garden:

• Irrigating smartly--mostly with drip irrigation
• Mulching properly
• Removing as much lawn as possible
• Water-wise plant selection, such as natives and Mediterranean-climate plants

 Irrigating smartly

Using minimal water to keep plants alive and healthy in the dry season, and wasting nothing are the watchwords. If you have sprinklers, make sure there is no overspray outside the area which needs water. Watering the right length of time, and at the right times are, important, too. Drip systems are the best way to minimize water use in irrigation--drip is over 90% efficient, whereas hand watering and sprinkers range only from 50-70%. Irrigate slowly and deeply, to encourages plants to develop deep root systems that are better able to tolerate drought. Periodically check soil moisture with a moisture meter or a soil sampling tube, which extracts a 12-inch or longer core, showing inch-by-inch how wet or dry the soil actually is.

Also, group plants according to water needs--a practice known as hydrozoning.  It's critical with drip irrigation, and a water-conserving practice even if you water by hand.

Water-wise Garden Design and Plant Selection

Xeriscapic plants are those which need relatively little water, and a water-wise approach generally incorporates many such plants, some of which are natives, but many of which are those used in Mediterranean Gardening.  Sonoma County, with our significant maritime influence, is one of the world's Mediterranean climate areas. Gardeners should also consider lawn-replacement: replacing all - or at least part - of thirsty lawns with low-water use plants. Ornamental Grasses are a wonderful design element, and also a great lawn replacement strategy. California native plants are more often than not water-thrifty, and last fall's article titled Natives Now details many that  are perfect for Sonoma County.

Remember that many landscape plants establish themselves faster when planted in native soils with little or no amendments. This is especially true for California natives. Plant in the fall whenever possible to allow young plants to establish themselves with the help of winter rains. 

 Other Water-saving strategies

Proper mulching is one of the best strategies for reducing water loss through evaporation, and hence water use. Harvesting rainwater, while less effective in our climate than in those with summer rain, can be useful in certain situations. Stormwater and runoff management considerations are also important in the big picture, and there are landscape design issues to address those.

Re-cycling and re-using household gray water is an idea whose time has come. This can range from simply diverting bath and wash water to a tank for later re-use in irrigation, to a more complex system combining a sand filter, holding tank, pumping system. A few package systems are commercially available.

Be sure and visit the Master Gardener water-wise demonstration garden at the '08 County Fair July 22nd-Aug 4, for even more ideas and tips.