Dealing with the drought

[Lester]

Azusa Light And Water:
PHASE III WATER SHORTAGE DECLARATION
--MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION REQUIRED-- EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2014
www.ci.azusa.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/26623


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I thought it might be helpful if we shared some drought tips to help reduce our water usage as well as save our gardens.


I have a re-circulation pump above my water heater that is on a timer. I have it on during times when I normally take a shower or use the tub. This pushes the hot water throughout the pipes in my home so I don't have to wait for the warm water. It saves water by not having to let it run. Mine looks similar to this one:

www.homedepot.com/p/Watts-Hot-Water-Re-Circulating-Pump-with-Timer-500800/100426993

www.lowes.com/pd_77814-18701-500899_0__?Ntt=hot+water+recirculating+pumps&UserSearch=hot+water+recirculating+pumps&productId=3135231&rpp=32

Google Comparison Shopping



If you do find that you need to run your water...it is a good idea to have a bucket handy to help reuse that water for something else, like the garden and potted plants.

[Lester]

"Forecasts from dynamical atmosphere-ocean models have recently become much more bullish regarding prospects for a strong El Nino event–and NCEP’s CFS model ensemble is now explicitly projecting that very strong El Nino conditions will be in place by November. A handful of ensemble members now project an event even stronger than the exceptional 1997-1998 El Nino. The high values foreseen by the upper-end ensemble members are especially remarkable given that the models used to predict ENSO typically underestimate the magnitude of extreme events. At the same time, however, we’re still on the wrong side of the so-called “spring predictability barrier”–which is another way of saying that our confidence in numerical model projections from early April is still low relative to the confidence we’ll have in model projections just a month or two from now. What is clear at this point is that all signs continue to point toward the rapid development of a strong El Nino event."


www.weatherwest.com/archives/1312

[Lester]

Native Grass:
UC Verde Buffalo Grass
ucverdebuffalograss.com/
www.ucverde.com/UC_Verde_Buffalograss/Why_UC_Verde_Buffalograss.html

edenmakersblog.com/?p=1142#sthash.PboS7le1.dpbs

ccuh.ucdavis.edu/industry/ucverde

lazygardens.blogspot.com/search/label/buffalo%20grass

It needs sunlight. Not a grass for shade.

Places to purchase:

www.armstronggrowers.com/pages/expertise/landscape-maintenance/a-lawn-that-drinks-responsibly-uc-verde-buffalo-grass

ucverdebuffalograss.com/products/product/uc-verde-buffalograss-128-size/

toddvalleyfarms.com/UCVerdeBuffalograss.htm
planted around march - october


www.toddvalleyfarms.com/store/scripts/default.asp
gardens.fjdavis.com/Listing_i47991

[Lester]

Native Plants:
Las Pilitas
www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/communities/coastal-sage-scrub/plants



Grow Native Nursery Claremont
www.rsabg.org/gnn-claremont

Theodore Payne Nursery (Sun Valley)
theodorepayne.org/nursery/retail-nursery/



www.cnps.org/

www.californianativeplants.com/

Casa La Paz
www.californianativeplants.com/index.php/retail/retail-casa-la-paz-hours
33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

[Lester]

How to Save Water with a Sleeping Lawn

www.wikihow.com/Save-Water-with-a-Sleeping-Lawn


Check to make sure your soil has adequate potassium. Adding potassium in the spring and summer will make your lawn more drought-tolerant. Do not add nitrogen in spring or summer, however, as this will have the opposite effect.

[Lester]

Waterwise Gardening - Water Saving Tips

Don’t change your garden; change the way you water.

Research shows that California’s residents use up to 50% more water than they need to maintain healthy, beautiful gardens. In fact, Armstrong Garden Centers’ experts suggest that our gardens and landscapes would actually be healthier if we watered less, but more effectively.

It’s easier and less expensive to change the way you water than it is to completely overhaul your garden. Here are ten simple things you can do to save water outdoors.



1. Water early in the morning
Set your automatic sprinklers to run in the early morning and finish before 8am. This will reduce evaporation and will lessen the likelihood of water waste from interference from winds. You’ll also find that plant disease and water damage are reduced.



2. Mulch
Placing a layer of organic mulch on the soil surface around plants can save hundreds of gallons of water each year. Mulch prevents water evaporation and also stops weeds from growing.



3. Repair and adjust sprinklers
Observe your sprinklers as they run. Adjust them as necessary to reduce overspray on sidewalks, roads, and patios etc. Repair damaged sprinklers immediately. Check pipes for leaks. Quick repairs and adjustments can save as much as 500 gallons each year.



4. Water deeper, but less often
Most gardens on automatic sprinkling systems in California are overwatered. If yours goes on every day, that’s most certainly the case. Change your system to water every other day or every third day. At the same time, increase the times by only 50-75%. You’ll have less evaporation and water will be further down where roots can continue to access the water.



5. Change watering times with the seasons
Make sure your gardener adjusts your automatic system at least three times a year. Your highest frequency will be July-October. Lowest will be November-March, with April-June somewhere in between. During periods of rain, turn automatic systems off.



6. Use trigger sprayers when hand-watering
Every hose should be equipped with a trigger sprayer so water is not wasted as you water containers and the rest of your garden. Trigger sprayers are especially useful when washing cars. Also, use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.



7. Minimize water loss in pots
Use water-retentive potting soils such as Danish Potting Soil in all container gardens. Add soil polymers to your potting soil and planting time. Polymers store water for plants’ use as the soil dries.



8. Add lots of compost to your soil
Adding store-bought or homemade compost to all your planting beds and pots will decrease the amount water needed. Clay soils that are amended with organic matter will accept and retain water better. Sandy soils improved with compost will have improved water absorption and retention.



9. Use organic fertilizers
Organic fertilizers slowly release nutrients into the soil at a natural rate that matches plants’ needs. With a slow, even feeding there is no overabundance of soft green growth that chemical fertilizers produce. Thus, your plants need less water when fed organically.



10. Install a smart sprinkler controller
The latest technology can help reduce your water use (and your water bill) dramatically. These wireless “smart controllers” activate your automatic sprinklers via computer based on current weather data and information about the specifics of your garden. You simply replace your automatic timer with a “smart controller”. You will also enter easy-to-determine information about your plants and soil. You can save 40 gallons or more each day using this type of controller.


www.armstronggarden.com/pages/waterwise?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=

[Lester]

Why These Goalies Are Worried About Unknown Toxins In Artificial Turf

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/30/artificial-turf-cancer-rubber-tires_n_5412140.html

[Lester]

Thirsty West: Why Californians Will Soon Be Drinking Their Own Pee





www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/06/desalination_vs_purification_why_californians_will_soon_drink_their_own.html

[Lester]

I was looking over a weekly watering schedule by the Azusa Light and water that I got the other day at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the Fish Canyon Trail. I'm going to try this and see how well it works.

12-14 minutes of watering, 2 times a week and then I adjust the system depending on the month. A 100% adjustment on my system means that it will run 100% of the time scheduled. 50% means that it would run 7 minutes of the 12-14. 150% means it would run 14 + (14x 1.5) = 35 minutes of the 14 scheduled time. I also have a drip system for some trees. That one, I let run longer because the roots are much deeper.

Jan: 50%
Feb: 68%
Mar: 100%
Apr: 114%
May: 143%
June: 172%
July: 196%
Aug: 186%
Sep: 147%
Oct: 100%
Nov: 64%
Dec: 50%

That way, it should be scheduled to work properly throughout the year.

And then I have a thing on it so that it will not go on if we get a decent rain.