These tips should help when water is scarce, and rainfall is lacking

• First, focus on saving plantings you love that would be difficult to replace and have some drought tolerance built in. Identify those and make them a priority when allocating your water.

• Most mature fruit and nut trees are drought tolerant. They can withstand infrequent deep waterings. Mature figs, apples, plums, pears, walnuts, persimmons and pomegranates are especially hardy, and will do fine without irrigation for longer periods. Our native black walnut is adapted to our climate and needs no summer water! Many native shrubs are super hardy and after two years establishment, will do fine withinfrequent or no summer water in most situations.

• Freezing temperatures during a prolonged winter dry period can kill plants. Make sure to water deeply and infrequently in winter during dry periods lasting more than three to four weeks. Our native oaks expect winter rains!

• Many native California and Mediterranean perennials and shrubs survive on rainfall once established, except during periods of prolonged winter dry periods. Our native trees and shrubs have adapted to summer dry conditions and will be short lived with regular summer irrigation. Redwoods are an exception, but can still withstand extended dry periods.

• To establish new plantings, I plant in the fall and winter, and when the rains cease in late spring, I water weekly, more or less, by hand with a water wand on the shower setting, or if a large area, with an overhead droplet rainmaker for the duration of summer. I like to mimic a steady light rain, soaking until the soil is drenched. Then I let the fall rains take over until they cease the following spring. I have found that most drip irrigation is ineffective in establishing natives, and in many instances, has killed or stunted plants. I will address drip irrigation in a future post!

• Turfgrass uses the most water and is the easiest and least expensive to replace if water is scarce. Consider replacing part/all of your lawn with beautiful low water use ground covers, perennials, shrubs, and/or an alternative permeable surface such as sand-set flagstone, mulches, pebbles or cobbles. New native sod mixes are now available as well.

• If you want to keep some of your lawn, aerate and thatch so roots can get air and absorb and retain water and nutrients. Mow high, 3-4 inches, and leave clippings.

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Rebecca Madrone, Garden Designer and Horticulturist

BA, Environmental Studies and Planning, Sonoma State University

 Implement Cultural Practices that Conserve Water and Improve Plant Health

• Start by eliminating leaf blowers! They dry out the soil and damage foliage with hurricane force winds and blow away mulch, damaging surface roots and exposing them to the sun. I’ll be talking about leaf blowers at length in a future post.

• Mulch heavily with 3 inches of organic matter. Many local arborists and tree services will deliver a load of chipped tree prunings at no charge. Avoid Eucalyptus and other non-native tree mulch. I find oak, fir and cedar to be the best, and have a lovely fragrance.

• Water deeply and infrequently, avoiding runoff and evaporation caused by misting. Plants that are watered this way send their roots deeper in search of water when the surface starts to dry out.

• Check your irrigation controller’s settings and run all valves to check for leaks, misting, blocked/missing sprayers and runoff.

• Repot container plants that are root bound, and mulch the surface soil with coco bean hulls or another fine mulch. A rich soil that holds moisture is best—I use Foxfarm’s Ocean Forest Potting Soil

• Consider installing a water catchment system to store your winter roof runoff for the dry season.

Fall is the perfect time to plan a native bird and butterfly friendly garden to replace your lawn and high water use plants. The Botanic Garden of California Native Plants in Tilden Park and the California Native Plant section in the San Francisco Botanical Garden are local gardens with examples of beautiful plants in all stages of growth you can grow in the place of turf and water intensive plants.