You are now in Conservation Corner Features category.

Helix Water District Names Winner of 2018 WaterSmart Landscape Contest

/in , /by by Helix Water District

Helix Water District has named Carey Hultgren and Paul Geldbach of La Mesa as the winner of its 2018 WaterSmart Landscape Contest, an annual competition that recognizes outstanding water-wise residential landscapes based on design and overall attractiveness, appropriate plant selection and maintenance, and irrigation methods.

This 1930s Spanish-style home on Dutton Lane sits on a 0.67-acre lot and now uses 40 percent less water than it consumed a few short years ago. Over the two-month billing period ending this April, this home used just 14 units of water. One unit is 748 gallons.

Hultgren and Geldbach purchased the property in 2012 and, at the time, the only landscaping was dead sod, dying trees and a swimming pool. Rather than trying to rehabilitate the thirsty lawn, Hultgren and Geldbach slowly transitioned their property into a colorful, complimentary, and climate-appropriate landscape.

Incredibly, the two completed the design, installation and maintenance of their Spanish oasis on their own. “Yes, it has taken us a long time! But I believe the extra time spent has been worth the money we’ve saved and the pride of ownership we gained in the process.

Free WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program Jump Starts Winning Project

The new award-winning front yard landscaping. Photo: Courtesy Helix Water District

Hultgren attended the San Diego County Water Authority’s free WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program in 2015 and within a few months they were ready to break ground. Since then, this do-it-yourself duo has completed a great amount of work.

“We’ve installed 26 water-wise trees and countless drought tolerant plants. We continue to refine and add to the landscape every spare moment we have,” said Hultgren.

The work first involved clearing the land with multiple truckloads of dead plant material and then rebuilding the sun-scorched soil. They hauled in over 40 yards of compost and mulch to provide the new plants with nutrients and help the soil retain moisture.

Next on the list was irrigation for the new plants. Fortunately, the old lawn had an irrigation system. The couple retrofitted the system with efficient rotating nozzles and avoided the expense and labor of installing a completely new system.

Lastly, the couple carefully selected, arranged and installed the colorful, low-water-use plants. Now that the plants are established, Hultgren and Geldbach can turn the irrigation system off from late fall to spring with nothing but the occasional hand-watering in between.

“In fact, we deeply watered the Palo Verdes along the driveway the first year to get their root systems established and we haven’t watered them or the 20 octopus agaves…for about one and a half years! This spring, the trees have thanked us with a spectacular flower show.”

Efforts Pay Off  With Lowered Water Bill, More Colorful Landscape

The pool deck after the renovation.

Hultgren and Geldbach wrote in their contest application that, “It’s gratifying to see that our efforts to conserve water with careful plant selections, irrigation retrofitting and mulch maintenance has been paying off with a lower water bill than some of our neighbors, plus a more colorful landscape.”

As this year’s winners, Hultgren and Geldbach will receive the following prizes – a $250 gift card, a certificate, as well as a WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner’s sign to display in their yard.

Photos of Hultgren’s and Geldbach’s yard will appear in the winners section at landscapecontest.com, along with Helix Water District’s past winners and the winners from other local water agencies. Helix will also feature the couple and their landscape at hwd.com, the district’s own website.

2019 WaterSmart Landscape Contest Submission Information Now Available Online

The 2019 WaterSmart Landscape Contest will begin around January next year and the deadline for submissions will be in late April. Look for information about the 2019 contest at hwd.com, Facebook.com/HelixWater and Twitter at @HelixWater.

Helix Water District is responsible for providing a safe and reliable water supply for more than 275,000 people living in La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove and parts of Spring Valley, Lakeside and unincorporated San Diego County.

Three things are required for optimal garden soil: OWL, or oxygen, water, and life. Photo: SDCWA

Gardening Like A Wise Old OWL

/in , /by by Water News Network staff

Your landscaping soil needs three things to feed the billions of microbes within it that can transform brick-hard, lifeless dirt into healthy, living soil: Oxygen, Water, and Life. Or in shorthand: OWL. 

Oxygen Lets Microbes Breathe Free 

Oxygen is needed by plant roots and soil organisms. Healthy soil has lots of tiny pockets of air. When soils are eroded, graded, or disturbed, their structure becomes compacted and hard. Compaction takes place when air and water bubbles are squeezed out of the soil. This kills the healthy microbes that replenish soil. Microbes can be killed by fertilizers, pesticides, or even heavy traffic from people or vehicles. 

Water For Your Microbes and Your Plants 

Microbes and plants need water to live. But too much water in your soil will displace oxygen by saturating the soil. This creates an anaerobic condition — and unhealthy microbes like bacteria, viruses, or parasites prefer anaerobic soil. If this condition persists, diseases may develop that endanger the health of your garden.   

Water is constantly moving through the soil. Water in the soil needs to be replenished as plants use it, as it evaporates from the soil surface, and as gravity pulls it down past the root zone of your plants. 

Bring Your Soil To Life  

Life in the soil includes all the bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and fungi, the food they eat, the excretions they make, and the root systems they sustain. Living microbes are most quickly incorporated into your soil by adding high-quality compost.  

Plants attract microbes to their roots by feeding them carbon. Bacteria and fungi hold the soil together with microscopic glues and binders. The microbes consume organic matter, and then they are consumed by bigger creatures (worms, ants, slugs, centipedes, larvae, etc.), which are consumed in turn by creatures further up the food chain.  

Carbon and other nutrients cycle through these many life forms, creating healthy living soil, no matter what the soil type.  

Without these three elements, landscaping will not thrive. Organic matter, planning and some labor may be involved, but creating healthy soil using the OWL method will pay off in reduced maintenance, reduced inputs, reduced pollution on land and in our waterways, and the beauty of your thriving, healthy landscape.   

 Get Your Free Sustainable Lanscapes Program Guidebook

This article was inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook available at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. Hardcopies are available free of charge at the Water Authority’s headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave., Kearny Mesa. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.   

 

 

  

Compare your soil to these diagrams to determine your landscaping's soil composition. You can then adjust amendments to reach the optimum mix. Illustration: SDCWA Jar Soil Test

What Kind of Soil Do You Have? Take the Test

/in , /by by Waer News Network staff

If you have ever put a shovel into the ground in San Diego County, you have likely encountered the region’s impermeable soils. Impermeable soils are defined by their poor infiltration areas. This means water doesn’t flow through the soil to replenish the groundwater, because the soil is too dense.  

It also means water doesn’t soak evenly into the ground or flow through living soil to plants in a healthy way. No matter where you do your landscaping, you should concentrate on improving your soil structure as much as possible. That will help irrigation be more efficient and more cost-effective, and your landscape plants will receive the nutrients and water they need to flourish. 

Why Does Particle Size Matter in Soils? 

 Before you can build better soil, you need to figure out what type of soil you are working with. The three basic types of soil are: 

  • Clay: Soil made up of the smallest particles 
  • Silt: Soil made up of a mixture of particle sizes 
  • Sand: Soil made up of the largest particles 

 In general, sandy soils drain faster than clay soils, because there is more space between the larger particles. Soil structure also influences soil quality. Lifeless, compacted, sandy soil will not absorb water, while healthy clay soil will be more sponge-like, holding and releasing water.  
The “just right” soil – an even blend of sand, silt and clay – is called loam. 

Determining Your Soil Type Using The Jar Soil Test 

 Some tests can be done onsite to figure out what kind of soil you have. Others require lab analysis. Certain conditions require specialized tests, such as soil used for food production or soil receiving a lot of storm water. 

You can test your home landscaping soil yourself using a “Jar Test.” This is a fun project to do with kids. 

  1. Use a one-quart glass container. 
  1. Add one cup of soil from the garden. You can select one area or take samples from several areas and blend them together. 
  1. Add three cups of distilled water. 
  1. Close the jar and shake it until all the soil solids are suspended in water. 
  1. Put the jar on a shelf and wait 24 hours.  
  1. If the container is still cloudy, wait another 24 hours. 
  1. After 48 hours, the soil layers should be settled on the bottom. 
  1. Measure the layers in proportion to each other, with the total adding up to 100 percent. 
  1. Sand will be on the bottom, silt in the middle, and clay on top. 

 Refer to the graphic to determine your soil type, based on the proportions of sand, silt, and clay. 

 Which jar does your home sample look most like? 

Now you can work to improve your soil condition, providing the best possible foundation for your landscaping plants and the most efficient irrigation.  

 

This article was inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook available at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. Hardcopies are available free of charge at the Water Authority’s headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave., Kearny Mesa. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.   

 

 

  

San Diego County's six climate zone according to CIMIS

San Diego’s Six CIMIS Climate Zones

/in /by by Water News Network Staff

Your landscape’s water needs go a long way toward determining your garden’s design and your plant choices. By choosing wisely, you can minimize the need for artificial irrigation and still create a beautiful, sustainable landscape.

Under the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS), San Diego County is divided into six climate zones: Coastal, Coastal Inland, Upland Central, Transition, Mountain and Desert.

This climate system provides you factors to help you understand which plants will thrive in your landscaping under its native conditions. Gardening in harmony with your local climate zone and your microclimate helps you use resources, including water, most efficiently.

Which CIMIS climate zone are you in?

Zone 1: Coastal Prairie
The Coastal Prairie zone hugs our county’s coastline. It is the zone most strongly influenced by the ocean, with a mild marine climate resulting from the warm Pacific Ocean. Winters are mild, summers are cool, and there is almost always moisture in the air.

Zone 4: South Coast Inland
South Coastal Inland areas are just inland from the beach, or on high bluffs above the coastline. You can feel the ocean breeze, but you can’t taste the salt in the air. There is less fog and humidity than the immediate coastal area, and higher temperatures.

Zone 6: Upland Central
The higher elevation Upland Central areas are influenced both by moist coastal air and dry interior air. Humidity, morning fog, and wind are moderate, with low annual rainfall.

Zone 9: Transition
This marine-to-desert transition climate is farther inland. It features a combination of warmer thermal belts and cold-air basins and hilltops, with occasional marine influence. The climate can vary from heavy fog to dry Santa Ana winds.

Zone 16: Mountain
Steep slopes, variation in sun and wind exposure, shallow soils and heavier rainfall affect plants in the Mountain regions. Average annual rainfall is 30 inches, and wet years can bring 45 inches or more.

Zone 18: Desert
Dry and hot daytime conditions combine with cold nighttime temperatures in the Desert zone. Humidity is very low, and water is scarce. Average annual rainfall can be as low as 2.5 inches, with an average of just 6 inches.

Learn more about the specifics of your climate and microclimate on the California Irrigation Management Information System website, and the Sunset Western Garden Book website.

This article was inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook available at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. Hardcopies are available free of charge at the Water Authority’s headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave., Kearny Mesa. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.

Irrigation Sprinkler Head

Gardeners, Do You Know Your ETo?

/in /by by Water News Network Staff

People around the world know San Diego for its beautiful, sunny and mild weather. San Diego residents know our daily weather has more variety than visitors might imagine.

Climate is defined as the average weather conditions in an area over a long period, generally 30 years or more. German climate scientist Wladimir Koppen first divided the world’s climate into six regions in the early 1900s.

Since then, U.S. climate zones have been defined in more detail. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines climate zones according to the lowest average temperate in the region. You may also be familiar with the 24 climate zones identified in Sunset Magazine’s iconic Sunset Western Garden Book.

Focusing on the critically important water management aspect of climate, the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) has also identified 24 climate zones.

Evaporation + Transpiration = Evapotranspiration

Depending on the amount of rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind, shade, and the nature of the soil, water in the ground evaporates at different rates. When evaporation is higher, the soil becomes dry more quickly.

Evapotranspiration (ET) is the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces, and by transpiration from plants.

Reference Evapotranspiration (ETo) is a baseline formula. All your plant water needs are measured against this baseline in a complex series of measurements and calculations.

Why Is Understanding Evapotranspiration Important?

In metropolitan San Diego County, our annual ETo rate increases as you move inland, meaning the soil becomes dry more quickly.

Fortunately, we don’t need to worry about making these calculations on our own. CIMIS maintains a statewide system of weather stations and reference plots. From these, it has identified the six main ET Zones in San Diego County.

Understanding your ETo zone and gardening climate zone are important first steps toward deciding how much water your landscaping will need. Working against the ETo and gardening climate zones can greatly increase your need for irrigation.

Learn more about the specifics of your ETo climate zone and gardening microclimate on the California Irrigation Management Information System website, and the Sunset Western Garden Book website.

This article was inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook available at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. Hardcopies are available free of charge at the Water Authority’s headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave., Kearny Mesa. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.

Choosing native plants can help you minimize the need for artificial irrigation of your San Diego County sustainable landscaping. Photo: SDCWA

Take the Watershed Approach to Landscaping

/in /by by Water News Network Staff

Many San Diego County residents embrace sustainability as a central principle for creating or renovating their landscapes. Treating every garden, no matter its size, as its own mini-watershed allows it to capture and retain water to nurture a diverse habitat of plants and helpful insects.

What elements do you need to consider when taking a watershed approach to your landscape?

Follow the Four Key Principles of Sustainable Landscaping

The formula for successful sustainable landscaping includes four key principles:

  • Healthy, Living Soils: Healthy, living soils rich in organic content feed a complex soil food web. The soil holds water like a sponge, and has nutrients for optimal plant health.
  • Climate Appropriate Plants: Many choices of beautiful groundcovers, shrubs, and trees are compatible with San Diego’s mild Mediterranean climate. These plants use less water and display diverse colors, textures and shaped with endless design options.
  • Rainwater as a Resource: Sustainable landscapes make the most of natural rainfall. Slowing the flow of water off rooftops and hard surfaces allow it to be captured and sink into the soil, or be stored for later use.
  • High-Efficiency Irrigation: Your irrigation can maximize water-use efficiency through smart controllers to adjust water automatically to changing weather conditions, and high-performance distribution components to regulate pressure and tailor water delivery to the exact needs of your landscape plants.

Those principles were then put into practice at the Sustainable Landscaping Demonstration Garden at the Water Authority headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave., San Diego.

The 3,000-squre-foot garden is open to the public. It includes an exhibit-quality sign to introduce visitors to key sustainable landscaping principles. Smaller signs throughout the landscape identify specific plant types. Free brochures on sustainable landscaping featuring the landscape’s design plan and plant palette are also available for visitors to take home.

This article was inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook available at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. Hardcopies are available free of charge at the Water Authority’s headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave., Kearny Mesa. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.

Waterwise plant choices sustainble landscaping

Hot off the Press: Sustainable Landscaping Guidebooks Available Countywide

/in /by by Water News Network Staff

Free manuals include photos, diagrams and checklists for environmentally friendly upgrades.

Free copies of a popular guidebook for environmentally friendly landscape upgrades are available to residents countywide starting today, thanks to a second printing of the “San Diego Sustainable Landscape Guidelines” by the San Diego County Water Authority. Homeowners who commit to meeting rigorous sustainable landscaping design standards may also qualify for a financial incentive to help offset project costs.

Residents can pick up the 71-page, spiral-bound books at the front desk of the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters, and at 18 other locations in San Diego, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Oceanside, San Marcos, Spring Valley and Bonita. (See location details below.) Quantities are limited, and participants are allowed only one book per household.

The Water Authority and its partners developed the comprehensive Sustainable Landscape Guidelines to help homeowners upgrade their landscapes with climate-appropriate plants, high-efficiency irrigation equipment, rainwater capture and detention features, and soil amendments to improve water efficiency.

The guidebooks – complete with photos, diagrams and checklists for following sustainable landscaping principles – were first published in October 2015, along with an electronic version that is at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. The principles were then put into practice at the Sustainable Landscaping Demonstration Garden at the Water Authority headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave., San Diego. Recent interest in the demonstration garden – which is open to the public for self-guided tours – highlighted a demand for additional hard copies of the books.

“These manuals offer great step-by-step instructions for homeowners to create sustainable showpieces,” said Mark Muir, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “Anyone considering a landscape transformation should start with our how-to guide for success, which is tailored to local conditions in San Diego County.”

The guidebook resulted from the Sustainable Landscapes Program, or SLP, a partnership between the Water Authority, the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, the Surfrider Foundation, the California American Water Co. and the Association of Compost Producers. Funds to create the SLP and to print 12,500 copies of the guidebook this winter were provided by a Proposition 84 grant from the California Department of Water Resources.

Residents who comply with the rigorous SLP design criteria, subject to additional terms and conditions, may qualify for up to $1.75 per square foot toward eligible project costs for upgrading 500 to 3,000 square feet of existing turf areas to sustainable landscapes. Incentives are limited. More information about incentive requirements is at slpincentives.watersmartsd.org.

Besides being available at locations countywide, the guidebooks are provided to participants in the Water Authority’s four-class WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series. These free, award-winning and interactive classes teach participants SLP principles and are held over four consecutive weeks. The Water Authority will host two sessions of the Landscape Makeover Series in March and April. Class details and an application form are at landscapemakeover.watersmartsd.org/classes.

Free copies of the book are available while supplies last during business hours at the locations below from these participating agencies and organizations:

  • San Diego County Water Authority – 4677 Overland Ave., San Diego
  • City of San Diego
  • Public Utilities Department – 525 B St., Main Floor
  • City Administration Building Lobby – 202 C St.
  • Central Library – 300 Park Blvd.
  • Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library – 5148 Market St.
  • Rancho Peñasquitos Branch Library – 13330 Salmon River Road
  • Sweetwater Authority – 505 Garrett Ave, Chula Vista
  • Water Conservation Garden – 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive W., El Cajon
  • City of Oceanside
  • Civic Center Library – 330 Coast Highway
  • Mission Branch Library – 3861 Mission Ave.
  • Civic Center, Revenue and Cashiering Office – 300-C N. Ditmar St., East Building
  • Civic Center, Water Administration Office – 300 N. Coast Highway, First Floor, South Building
  • Vallecitos Water District – 201 Vallecitos De Oro, San Marcos
  • Otay Water District
  • District office – 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd., Spring Valley
  • Southwestern College Library – 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista
  • Otay Ranch Branch Library – 2015 Birch Road, Suite #409, Chula Vista
  • Bonita-Sunnyside Branch Library – 4375 Bonita Road, Bonita
  • Salt Creek Recreation Center – 2710 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista
  • Heritage Recreation Center – 1381 E. Palomar St., Chula Vista

To view the guidebook and a list of pick-up locations online, go to sustainablelandscapessd.org/guidelines.