SACRAMENTO-
Green grass, healthy trees and colorful flowers — it’s why we landscape our yards.
But when residents are asked to conserve, keeping that investment alive is a challenge.
Thursday, landscapers attended a meeting with experts from the Department of Water Resources and UC Davis horticulturists to learn new tricks of the trade.
“We’re in the green industry, and as long as we don’t have any water, we are out of business, and so we are trying to do the best we can,”said Luis Bravo with The Green Company.
The tips the landscapers are learning can also be used in your yard, especially when it comes to having the right sprinkler heads.
“The traditional spray heads are kind of inefficient. They spray a lot of misty water off. There are some irrigation heads that are rotating stream rotors that are very, efficient — they put the water out slowly so it has a chance to soak in,” Julie Saare-Edmonds, and environmental scientist with the Department of California Water Resources, said.
If spending money isn’t an option for your family, there is another trick for watering your lawn properly. It just takes more time.
“Set your timer to cycle and soak, where it just runs for a few minutes — maybe five minutes,” Saare-Edmonds said. “Then let it soak in, then let it run again, that way you get the full moisture profile filling the soil.”
Another important tip is to focus on the health of your trees, especially if you decide to cut elsewhere.
Trees take years to establish while flowers are easy to replace.
“Even if you are going to cut way back on your lawn watering, run a separate soaker hose or dripper line — some other irrigation — around your tree in the drip line area,” Saare-Edmonds said. “Give them a good soak every week or two.”
