Last week we talked about water
running off our landscapes, down the street, and into the ocean;
carrying with it a bit of our garden fertilizers, pesticides and
other pollutants. From the Newport Coast development alone,
24 million gallons of contaminated runoff are ending up in our
protected marine habitats each month. We are responsible
gardeners. We need to change our practices.
Below are some easy things that you can do to
reduce your impact on our coastal environment. Use this as a
checklist. The more checks the better.
□Install
a Smart Irrigation Controller.
It is amazing how many homeowners still don’t know about these.
“Smart” controllers are a new breed of irrigation timer that
tells your sprinklers when to turn on and when not to. They do
this by adjusting automatically to daily changes in
temperatures, wind, humidity and other conditions, while taking
into account the unique needs of the plants being watered as
well the soil type, slope, flow rate and more. On average, a
Smart controller cuts water usage by 30%, reduces runoff even
more and produces healthier plants. Better yet, most communities
in Orange County will rebate most or all of the cost of a Smart
controller. It’s a no-brainer.
□Adjust
Irrigation Timing.
If you don’t have a Smart controller yet, you should regularly
adjust the programming of your current timer. With changing
weather, this may mean weekly or more often. Better yet, get a
Smart controller.
□Cycle
Irrigations.
If water begins running off before your plants are thoroughly
watered, your irrigations should be “cycled”. Assume one of your
irrigation zones needs to be on for twelve minutes in order to
get the water to the roots of the plants. Program the controller
to deliver three four-minute cycles, with perhaps an hour
between each cycle. This is much better than a twelve minute
blast that just fills the gutters.
□Switch
to Super-Efficient Sprinkler Heads.
The little inserts that screw into the tops of your sprinklers
are not all the same – far from it. It’s easy, unscrew the old
inserts from your sprinkler heads and replace them with
super-efficient precision heads, like the MP Rotator. MP
Rotators distribute water much more uniformly and at a far
slower rate, avoiding runoff. Another bonus - you may qualify
for a $4 rebate on every insert you buy.
□Check
for Leaky, Broken or Misdirected Sprinklers.
No irrigation controller or sprinkler head can fix a leaky
system, or sprinklers aimed onto the sidewalk.
□Use
Ocean-friendly Products.
Stop using synthetic fertilizers. If you’re addicted to the
weekly dose of the stuff in the green-and-yellow box you can
join with others at the local chapter of Fertilizers Anonymous.
Use only organic pesticides and snail baits, as well as
biological controls and other less-toxic solutions.
□Use
Fertilizers and Pesticides Properly.
When you do need to fertilize or apply a chemical, do it with
caution and keep these products off paved surfaces. Use the
least toxic product, with a narrow spectrum of control. Practice
integrated-pest-management in your garden. If uncertain, before
making a purchase, get advice from an expert trained in earth
friendly gardening, not a garden department “salesperson”.
□Talk
to your Gardeners.
If your gardeners are in charge of your irrigation decisions,
fertilizing and pest control, stop them. Purchase your own
fertilizers and products, organic of course, for them to use on
your garden. Better yet, tell them you’ll take care of the
irrigation controller, fertilizing, pest and weed control – then
ask for a reduced monthly charge.
□Switch
to Low Water Plants.
When adding plants to a landscape look for California
Friendly® selections that conserve water and
resources. You’ll be surprised that hundreds of the plants you
already know and love are California Friendly.
□Group
Plants with Similar Water Needs.
An olive tree, planted with lavenders and rosemary share a
low-water requirement. Drop in a border of petunias and you’ll
be overwatering everything else by 200 to 300%. It’s called
hydrozoning. A water-wise garden can certainly have flowers;
just plant them near other plants with the same water
requirements.
□Mulch
Under and Between Plants.
Covering the soil surface with two to three inches or organic
mulch is one of the best things you can do, for many reasons –
and will reduce your water use by as much as 20 percent.
□Reduce
Lawn Area.
Do you really use your lawn or is it just a family tradition?
Turfgrass is the thirstiest, most fertilizer and chemical
dependant part of your landscape. Use turfgrass only where you
really need it.
□Border
Lawns with Planted Areas.
Turf areas that butt up against concrete are a runoff dilemma. A
border of shrubs or groundcover between the turf and the
concrete will catch the fertilizer and water before it gets to
the gutter.
How did you do? Don’t be ashamed if only a few
boxes are checked, you’re not alone. Check this column again
next Friday when I’ll announce some exciting information about
California Friendly gardening here in Orange County.
Ron Vanderhoff is the Nursery Manager at Roger’s
Gardens, Corona del Mar
