Schools, churches and businesses near American River qualify
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| Big water-wise gardens, such as the Water Efficient Landscape at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, make efficient use of irrigation. Churches, schools and businesses can apply for funding to replace turf and upgrade irrigation systems. (Photo: Kathy Morrison) |
Commercial properties and institutions such as schools or churches often have the biggest lawns. Local water providers want to help get those lawns irrigated more efficiently – or replaced with water-wise alternatives.
With the help of a new rebate program, Sacramento-area schools, churches and businesses can get up to $15,000 for water-wise landscape upgrades. To qualify, the commercial, industrial and institutional properties must be located within 5 miles of the Lower American River.
“Our goal is to make it easy for business and institutional customers to reduce their water use while also improving water quality,” said Amy Talbot, Water Efficiency Program Manager for the Regional Water Authority (RWA), which is administering the program.
Most of our water use in the greater Sacramento region goes toward lawn and landscape irrigation. This rebate program isn’t just about water use; it’s about runoff, too.
About a third of landscape water use is lost due to overwatering and evaporation, Talbot said. “This program is designed to prevent the overwatering and runoff that carries fertilizers and pesticides from landscapes into the storm drain and directly into our rivers, streams and creeks.”
According to the RWA, qualifying properties can receive funding to replace turf with beautiful low-water plants and trees, and to upgrade inefficient irrigation to high-efficiency sprinkler heads, weather-based irrigation controllers, drip irrigation and more. Rebate funding will cover both equipment and professional installation.
The program is available on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is depleted. To learn more, including eligibility guidelines, contact Chris Perry at rwaciiprogram@gmail.com or call 916-967-7653.
The rebate program is funded by a grant from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.
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