Drought Update........How to Save Your Plants Under Drought and Water Restrictions......and Use Graywater!

California is in the midst of the worst drought in decades.  But you can save your valued trees and landscape plants by following a few simple principles.  Watering mature trees deeply just once during mid-summer will keep most species alive, especially if there is a three inch layer of mulch on the top of the soil to keep evaporation down.   Be sure to water outward toward the dripline of the tree rather than near the trunk. Keep weeds out of your garden; they will win the water fight. Don't fertilize your landscape during the drought and avoid ripping out your current landscape in the middle of summer to replace it with a drought tolerant one; young plants require more water than established landscapes, and more frequent irrigations.  For more information on how to reduce water use in your landscape and garden and to learn more about using graywater from your washing machine to irrigate your landscape click on this link.   http://cesanbernardino.ucanr.edu/Drought_Resources/   Janet Hartin, Environmental Horticulture Advisor, University of California ANR Cooperative Extension, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties.