How much & how often do we water our California native gardens?
AMOUNT
Our goal is to give every square foot of our garden 1.5" - 2" of water per month (compared to 4" - 6" for lawns).
With an average annual rainfall of ~12" in Southern California, our irrigation regimen gives our California-native gardens plenty of water to survive, retain foliage, & produce more flowers.
Since much of the intrigue of converting to California natives is saving water, we feel it's important to calculate how many gallons an average California native garden uses.
Per 1,000 square feet = ~150 gallons of water per hour
This applies .5" of water on every square foot per week
SCHEDULE
Runtime: 1 hour per zone at sunrise (~6:00 AM)
Every 3 days for first 30 days after planting
Every 5 days for next 5 months
Every 7 days for 7+ years
METHODS
☔️ Sprinklers
Hunter MP1000-3000 nozzles
We use Hunter's MP nozzles because these are extremely efficient at applying water evenly & slowly. Water applied evenly encourages plant root systems to spread in all directions for hydration. Water applied slowly ensures that droplets percolate down into soil rather than run off atop the surface (wastes water).
We have also found that these nozzles (and Hunter products in general) are very well-built & durable. These nozzles are consistent at applying water even in the harshest conditions. Hunter's nozzles can withstand being submerged in dirt & function even when partially clogged. This margin for error gives us confidence that our gardens will still receive irrigation reliably over long periods of time.
The amount of water used varies depending on each nozzle (see this chart for specifics). We have simplified the math displayed above by using MP2000 nozzles at a 180° angle and a 15' radius as a reference. Each garden has different dimensions (perimeter shapes, areas, etc.), so precise calculations would need to be done in the design phase of each particular yard.
💧 Dripline
1/2” tube with .6 GPH emitters, 12” apart
We use dripline in areas where it isn't appropriate to use overhead sprinklers such as in narrow planter beds where overspray is damaging and/or wasteful. Typically we use this type of irrigation along structures (houses, sheds, etc.).
Some gardeners advocate for drip irrigation because it can save even more water. Drip irrigation applies water right to the surface of the root ball of each plant. This reduces evaporation and water flying into the air from strong winds. Although this method of watering may seem sensible in theory, there are multiple challenges when it comes to irrigating California native plants in this way (read this article to learn more - coming soon).
Many California native plant advocates demonize drip irrigation. We prefer overhead irrigation whenever possible, but we've found that watering with dripline is useful and not as problematic when designed correctly (read this article to learn more - coming soon).
BENEFITS
Watering on this schedule will ensure that your California native plants get twice the amount of our average annual rainfall (24" per year).
We recommend this much water because:
more & faster plant growth
more lush appearance
more flowers & longer bloom period
OPTIONS
If you prefer to save water, you can irrigate less often once plants are more established (typically 3+ years old). Some gardeners only water once per month but plants will appear more wild & have a longer dormancy period.
