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Five ways to save water this summer

With dry days ahead, here are suggestions to reduce use by 10% — or more

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED MAY 14, 2021

A moisture meter or just a screwdriver or trowel can be used to determine the moisture level of your
soil. Make small changes in irrigation to save water now. (Photo courtesy Regional Water Authority)

Can you save 10%? That’s the question the Sacramento area’s water leaders are asking local residential consumers during what looks like a very dry year.

On Thursday, the Regional Water Authority – the umbrella organization over the region’s 20 water providers – asked customers to voluntarily conserve water by 10%, especially outdoors where most water is used during the warm summer months. That followed reports that almost all of California is now under drought conditions.

According to the RWA, Folsom Lake – the major reservoir serving Sacramento’s 2 million residents – is lower than it was during historic drought conditions in 2014 and 2015. Fortunately, the Sacramento region is “in a strong position to meet the water supply needs of people,” says the RWA. But the dry conditions are expected to stress the Lower American River, vital to Chinook salmon and steelhead trout.

A dry summer also has potential to stress our landscapes – and plant-loving gardeners.

Don’t panic. Some small adjustments quickly can add up to that 10% savings – and more.

First, look at your baseline and determine your target. The average Sacramento-area household uses about 304 gallons a day, says the RWA. (Of that, 167 gallons goes toward outdoor use.) So, a 10% savings equals about 30 gallons a day.

Here are five suggested ways to reach that goal, courtesy of the RWA:

1. Mulch. A layer of 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch around trees and shrubs can save 30 gallons per 1,000 square feet every time you water.

2. Adjust your sprinkler heads to reduce runoff: Make sure they’re hitting the lawn and not the sidewalk or driveway. That tune-up can save 40 gallons every time you turn on the sprinklers.

3. Check your soil moisture. Before you turn on the sprinklers, use a moisture meter, long-handled screwdriver or other probe. If you can easily push the screwdriver 6 inches into the soil, wait on watering. Potential savings: 80 gallons a day.

4. Water in the early morning. There’s less evaporation and more water gets to plant roots. That can save 50 gallons every time you water.

5. Upgrade to a Water Sense-labeled weather-based sprinkler timer or controller. This one change can save 100 to 150 gallons a day. Several water providers are offering rebates on these smart controllers, too.

For more ideas and links to rebates: www.bewatersmart.info .

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Keywords:

Sacramento drought Regional Water Authority soil moisture irrigation gardening sprinklers landscape low-water plants mulch water conservation drought tolerant gardens

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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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