California draught is killing my yard, roses, and trees. Help!

Question

When we bought our home, it had been a bank owned house. Nothing was alive in the yards. I planted roses, bulbs, and passion vine.  Our town has passed a ordinance about watering. I would not think they want us to just let every thing die-I have thought of soak hoses. I was told that if the city suspect wrong uses of watering, the city can fine you, by doubling your bill. Can they legally do that?

Janet Pizaro · Answer

I would definitely contact the town before you water. Suggest the soaker hoses to them. Perhaps they will give you a solution

Carol Claremont · Answer

Get rain barrels from Home Depot or Lowes and set them up on the corners of your house to catch rain (when you get any) - it will flow off your roof into the barrels and then they have a spout you can hook up a hose t of put a watering can under it.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

Thats sounds great what what if it doesn't RAIN?

Sharonhull · Answer

Janet, if nothing else, save your trees. Lawn, shrubs & flowers can be replaced if/when the drought ends but trees are expensive and slow-growing. I live in CA too & know that most cities/counties give residents an allotment. How you use it is up to you, within certain guidelines. Watering my trees would be high up there on my priority list. Soaker hoses, placed at the drip line (not next to the trunk) are a water-saving way to irrigate. You can also save the warm-up water at sinks & showers in buckets and irrigate trees with it. You can also investigate 'laundry to landscape' water (check with your water department for rebates) which is now legal all over CA. Google it for experts in your area or info on DIY. And capturing water from the roof in barrels (free ones are available - google that too) is very easy. Even a brief gentle rain captures an amazing amount. And on the coast, even fog produces measurable run-off into my barrels.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

Sharonhul not exactly sure what your saying all I said is what if it dosent rain.

Sharon L. Price · Answer

Sybil, truely know the heartbreak of watching your plants etc expire. I read about moisture pellets. Work them through your soil and they will hold moisture in longer Maybe this will help with your watering..good luck!

Jeanette S · Answer

Good luck and God bless all of you...our hearts go out to you in these difficult times! (Sorry for the long post but we have lots of experience in dry, hot summers!) Where there is a water shortage, the city has to first consider the need for drinking water over that of the plants, so yes, they can initiate penalties in these situations. First determine what you want to save the most and then work around it! You need to worry most about saving your trees because they take years to regrow! What you can do is drill down into the soil around your trees to and insert PVC pipe at different depths with bottom of pipe angled toward the tree. Fill these pipes with water and it feeds directly to the tree. Then put down straw or mulch to help retain the moisture. I have even taken my bath water in buckets and poured it around my trees during dry weather. (I hand the bucket out the window to hubs to pour on the trees) This is a pretty intense chore, but 5-6 gallons of water for your trees a couple of times a week will work wonders! If you don't have time to water in the mornings, save the water until the afternoon. Figure out a plan! As for your roses...you can do the same thing, making sure you put in lots of mulch...3-4' deep. You can mix leaves/straw/mulch if you wish. Use watering crystals worked into the soil! As for your lawn...there is not much you can do except eliminate as much grass as you can and put in accent areas...mulch with a few large strategically placed rocks, maybe an interesting solar light pole, etc. (All this can be taken up and yard reseeded when the rain starts! And the mulch will help you avoid mud holes when it does rain!) The following is an example of crystals that can be used on more shallow plants. I use these in all my pots and flower beds. You can get these at Home Depot and Walmart! Water Jelly Crystals are an example of a water-absorbing polymer called a hydrogel. - See more at: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/hydrogel-gardening#sthash.ENwxBy60.dpuf

Angela Herremans · Answer

Hi Sybil 
If you buy the cheep baby nappies they have inside them a water absorbent centre, pull the stuffing out and soake it in water with some plant food and then dig around the plants you want to save. You'll be watering them and feeding at the same time :-) make sure they are covered so the sun does not dry them out. And when you water always water in the are you have place the stuff :-)

Find out where the water from your bathtub, shower and sinks come out and put a grey water hose onto them you are aloud to use the water from them to water your yard and garden if you are not happy with the hose running around the yard look to placing water tanks so that the water can collect in them for hand watering.  
If you do the you will need to put a notice on your letter box stating that you are using recycled water for the garden this way nobody can get upset seeing you water :-)

I hope this helps this is something I have had to do as I live in the Outback of Australia and we are always on water rations but nobody has even been charged for watering but if you water goes over your allocated amount then you have to pay extra for it that's all.

Linda B · Answer

If you'll read this article about a fancy sounding word (xeriscaping), you'll get some good ideas for how to deal with low-water gardening: http://davidson.ces.ncsu.edu/waterwise-gardening-in-the-piedmont/

The Garden Frog with C Renee · Answer

I would highly suggest rain barrels! and see if you can use grey water (the water from your washer and even kitchen sink) to water the plants. Many areas are zoning for this now. You would need to run the plumbing out to a cistern or collection barrel/container. I would also think about more drought tolerant plants too. You do not have to go succulents but native plants for you area. good luck

Due dur · Answer

Yes the can and you will be fined  your neighbors can turn you in ... The drought issue in California is far more important than roses and flowers .. Just put your washing machine hose out a window with a garbage can to catch the grey water. Drop a sump pump in connect to a hose and water away .. Put buckets in the shower and catch all that grey water .. You should only use certain types detergent .. Biodegradable .. So get to work , get on board with what having no water will feel like ..for you and your community  Never again waste a drop

Marion Nesbitt · Answer

Feel your pain - so disheartening. Why hasn't there been a move to set up a desalination plant??? Depending on finances, I would buy the big jugs of drinking water, give the trees a drink, and then put down mulch to try to keep in the moisture. What if you fill pails inside and carry them out rather than use a hose?

Bonny McDaniel · Answer

We, too, bought a bank owned house with a lot of dead and dying plants...plus voles that eat everything. Now, the drought but we are getting by with some gimmicks...first, as someone said, collect your cold shower water. We usually fill a five gallon bucket while waiting for hot water and use this on container and plants in the ground. We also collect the extra water at the sink (and seldom use the dishwasher and we don't have a disposal because we use the veggie and fruit clippings in the compost pile). Also, if you will use some method of sinking clay pots in the ground (called olla, I believe) you can use a lot less water and the plant's roots will get the benefit. We live 'up the hill' from you in Paradise and it is very try here. Your roses will need moisture and a lot of mulch on them to hold in that moisture. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to know about water use. I've lost a few plants in this drought but most are alive if not thriving.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

i don't live in california.

Tammy · Answer

So sorry I no it is bad there. If u feel ambitious you could save your shower water and take buckets out to the plants. Or put the 🌹 in pots so just they get the water. We can live with out a lot of things but water is not one of them😭

Colette · Answer

You do not need to let anything die execpt grass. I have a large northern Caliornia garden. Plant only drought tolerant plants. Take out what is not. Catch water heating up from shower and washing dishes to water plants. Put extra water into rain barrels. Water early or late. Mulch mulch mulch. We have reduced our water by 18 %

Dottie Unruh · Answer

When that happened in Colorado one year, I carried bath water out in buckets to put on the most important shrubs. Also, is there a way you can pump out the rinsewater from your washing machine? A tiny bit of detergent is actually good for plants.

Jill · Answer

Letting everything go is not an option, because one, it kills everything, two, it also adds to global warming by providing no green space, and three brings down home values and causes blight. 
 
 The cut back so much percent thing, is garbage. Make them provide you with a printed schedule that permits watering time guidelines. Call your water dept or district up and ask them what the settings for water should be. Most will give you this. 
 I called my local water district and installed drip irrigation. It runs to all my shrubs, and is set to the water districts settings of so many days a week, so many times a day to water, so many minutes. 
 I don't have a lawn, but if I did, I would also follow their recommended settings if possible. Don't mow your lawn so much, or so short. That causes a greater need for water, thru evaporation. Let the roots stay moist by not cutting back so much. Use drought or low tolerant plants. If you decide the cost of a lawn isn't for you anymore, replace it with something else such as gravel, or fake grass. Many water districts are offering rebates to those who convert there yards and remove high water use plants and grass.
 And use everything drop in your home that you can. Bring a bucket to catch the water in your shower, fill that same bucket with water you wash your dishes with, divert the water to your washing machine, and always use turn off values on all your hoses at the ends so you don't use water just walking from one spot to another. 
 And take some of the free classes offered by your local extensions as to how to maintain during the drought. Call your local gardening clubs. They usually offer them for free at local water offices, Universities, extensions, and even some of the big box stores and nurseries. Their advice is gold during this time.

Lisadoll · Answer

Just get on your water company's website.. It will tell you how many times / week you are supposed to water under draught regulations. Yes, it's legal for them to impose a fine. Where I live, the water co. Keeps threatening, however, I haven't heard of anybody ACTUALLY receiving a fine. 
Then again, I think San Jose Water intentionally makes that bill long and confusing, so that you have NO idea WHAT they're charging for. There oughtta be a law against THAT! 
Ps: DO NOT let ANYTHING die. A lawn is very expensive to replace. So are trees. Remember to water the trees with a slow running hose if they're getting less from irrigation systems.
I GUARANTEE neither the city, or the water co will pay for your new landscaping/ labor . LOL!

Bonny McDaniel · Answer

Most water districts are advocating for lawns going without water...just water trees and shurbs (roses qualify as shrubs but they aren't drought tolerant). As far as I know, there are still rebates for people that eliminate their lawns and put in drought tolerant plants or rock. These water districts are not being arbitrary...Gov. Brown has signed it into law and we must cut back...I think the figure is now about 35% over the 2013 figures. Our water district is not as critical as others but it must mean the state mandate and there have been fines (for watering too much, on the wrong days, etc.). I don't have any lawn although I wanted to plant a small area with grass...everyone needs to cooperate. It drives me crazy to do all that we are doing and see others 'cheating' because they don't want to make any sacrifices.

Darrel Rose · Answer

I live in the desert in CA so I know what you are going through I too have worked hard and spent lots of money on my five thousand square feet of lawn and many plants in my yard and have the same feeling you do and don't want to lose them all, so what I do on my days I am allowed to water which is a odd day for me,plus I water early in the morning hours around 5:30am then at six PM I go and hand water with a hose just so my grass is getting a little extra water, Summer in the deserts can be very brutal as you may know and the first few weeks I had to cry when they cut us down to two days a week my lawn was dying and I said no way I am going to let my grass die just like some of my neighbors they are saying the same thing and giving a little extra water but using less water in my home, that's the key as long as you don't go over your allotted gallons of water use, I believe we are only allowed fifty gallons aday so I make sure I don't go over that amount, also I have made my plants over the last few years to go without some water so they have managed on what I give them, it's just the grass that is very thirsty, I also mulch with Pine Needles this helps to keep in the moisture longer, so if you use pine needles or other mulch you will be fine, we also check with our local municipal water district and they told us that we are fine with our water useage and have not gone over the allotted amount. Remember that is the key to this saving water business, hope I have helped you determine how much water to use without getting a fine for using water.

Darrel Rose · Answer

I just want to add some more things to my be long post earlier, as long as you adhere to the days and times you are pretty much biding by the law. I also catch water before getting into shower and water during the week with my watering can and use a two litre soda bottle and fill that with water and give to my plants they are still very green although my rose flowers seem to be flowering more but are not as big as they usuallly are other years and do turn brown and die off sooner but at least they are not dead and the leaves on them are still green and none of my plants have died that's the main thing to keep them alive right now which is what I am doing

Cindy Corean · Answer

I live in NE Wyoming where lack of water is ALWAYS a problem. Keep a dishpan in your kitchen sink and don't use antibacterial soap (any other kind is fine). When you wash pans or whatever in your sink, throw the dishpan water out around your plants instead of sending it down the drain. Put a mop bucket in the shower with you and it will catch extra water for your plants. You can either run the drain hose from your washing machine into a large container (like a clean, plastic garbage can) and dipper it out by the bucket, or just stop your machine before it drains out and scoop the water into a container whatever size you're able to carry outside (a muscle-bound kid really helps with this part!) Don't worry about putting soapy water on your plants, as long as it's NOT anti-bacterial, soap will only kill the bugs for you. Just think of sharing your own water with your plants. When you take a drink of water, drink half the glass and pour the rest on some poor, thirsty plant. Save your cooking water for the plants. Pray, pray, pray for rain. Set a certain time of day aside to pray. Find a friend and pray together. God still answers prayer, but only serious prayers that actually get prayed.

California draught is killing my yard, roses, and trees. Help!

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California draught is killing my yard, roses, and trees. Help!

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