Drought: Gardening Tips

Water dedicated to landscape can often be reduced by 20 to 40 percent because over irrigation is very common. Gradually reduce the amount of water applied over a few weeks - giving lawns, trees and plants time to adjust.

Water restrictions and conservation should be taken into consideration when deciding on starting an edible home garden. If local water allocation allows for an edible garden, homeowners can grow fruits and vegetables in their backyard using water-wise practices.

Water-saving Edible Garden Tips:

Plant an appropriate size garden for your household
Plant shorter season crops and drought resistant varieties
Know critical watering periods, for example transplanting and fruit development
Apply a 3” to 4” layer of mulch
Compost adds nutrients to soil and can produce higher yields
Remove weeds, which compete for water resources
Install a water efficient drip irrigation system

Learn More: Water Conservation Tips for Home Gardens >>>

A lawn is almost always the single largest user of water in the home landscape. Many gardens have large expanses of turf that are never used but require considerable time, effort and resources to maintain. Use turf only when it serves a purpose, such as play or entertainment areas.

Water-saving Lawn Tips:

Select water efficient varieties suited for your local climate
Replace nonessential turf with ground covers, mulches, decks and walkways
Adjust irrigation schedule monthly - to reflect seasonal changes
Water at night, ideally between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., this reduces evaporation and wind will not be strong enough to interfere with sprinkler patterns
Mow lawns higher during very warm weather
- Helps reduce growth rate
- Protects lawn from sunburn
- Promotes deeper root growth
- Shades soil, reduces weeds

Do not introduce new plants to your landscape during a severe drought. Even California native plants aren't drought-resistant until they become well established. When water restrictions allow for new plants to be introduced into your landscape, select drought tolerant varieties appropriate for your climate zone. Introduce new plants during the fall, allowing them to become established by winter rain.

Water-saving Plant Tips:

Remove plants in crowded beds or low-priority plants competing for soil moisture
Mulch, mulch, mulch!
- 3 to 4" layer reduces water evaporation and weeds
- Protects roots from heat
- Reduces weeds who compete for water
Avoid heavy pruning
Do not overuse fertilizers, which increase growth and water demands
Infrequent deep watering encourages deeper root growth, and results in plants with greater drought tolerance
Use a drip irrigation system, grouping plants with similar water needs together on one drip irrigation line

When water is limited, most people choose to water fruit trees, landscape trees, and shrubs. Lawns, groundcovers, and bedding plants can be reestablished over a relatively short time, but trees and shrubs need years to mature and are less easily replaced.

Ornamental Trees:

One or two deep irrigations with a garden hose several weeks apart in spring and summer will often keep trees alive through summer, especially if roots are relatively deep
Will drop leaves or wilt under severe water shortage, but with appropriate care will survive

Fruit and Nut Trees:

Early-season water applications will keep trees alive, but reduces fruit production
To produce a good harvest, deciduous fruit and nut trees need adequate water in their root zones continuously from bloom until harvest

Tree Ring Irrigation Contraption (TRIC):

The Calif. Center for Urban Horticulture (CCUH) at UC Davis, UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and Ewing Irrigation devised a unique watering system called the Tree Ring Irrigation Contraption (TRIC). The TRIC is an inexpensive kit that homeowners can put together for around $100 for one large tree.

The TRIC could enable homeowners to adequately water trees to a depth of three feet with confidence, by using the recommended parts and using the TRIC calculator with accurate information. Aside from a recommended parts list, there is a “plug-in” calculator created by Dr. Loren Oki, UC ANR Associate Specialist in Cooperative Extension Landscape Horticulture for UC Davis & UC ANR. The TRIC calculator helps determine the run-time needed for the device.

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