California

Drought DIY: SoCal Water Savers Tackle Their Turf

With the announcement of new water restrictions in California, this weekend may be a big one for homeowners looking for the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to make their lawns more drought-tolerant.

The city of LA and many other municipalities still offer rebate to homeowners who replace traditional lawns with those that use less water. Some estimates show rebates averaging around $2,000.

But with the push to conserve more and more water — and sooner, rather than later — nurseries and garden centers are seeing a jump in requests for help.

"This year we've had a hugely expanded area of drought-tolerant plants," said Home Depot associate Ellen Nagler. "It makes a beautiful yard and very easy to take care of."

Nagler said places like Home Depot have upped its inventory of drought-tolerant plants because of the increased demand.

Sherman Oaks resident Allyson Davis says she changed over her own front lawn to a drought-tolerant one in October and this month is starting to see the savings.

"I just got our first water bill that I can really see the difference and it was a few hundred dollars," Davis said with a smile. "So now I just have to figure out who's taking the long showers!"

At the Sego Nursery in Valley Village, Dean Murakami says if there's only one thing people do this weekend, his suggestion is to add mulch.

"If you mulch and especially keep the top inch dry, that acts as insulation and holds the water in," he said, adding that watering your lawn in the early hours (he suggests 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.), you can take advantage of the morning dew as well.

"If they mulch around the plant but not next to the plant, keep the base of the plant clear and two to three inches high of mulch will save you 25 percent of the water," he said.

Murakami says he's seen the changes in buying habits, too.

"People are going to switch to California natives, that's what's going to happen," he said."

Murakami believes the only downside to changing over your lawn to those California natives is that the younger plants need at least two seasons to take hold and expand their roots — that means heavy watering to start before less watering to save you the monthly bills.

"Watering all the time, smaller amounts aren't going to do anything. We need to water thoroughly and then not water very often," he said.

In Sherman Oaks, Tom Astle says he's been working on the changeover to a drought-tolerant yard for the last couple years.

"In my backyard I have an area of native and other similar plants that I literally never irrigate," he said, adding that he's also allowed his grass to grow longer and thicker to help keep the water in.

"Everything's in bloom, and if you pick native plants and things from similar climates, you'll have stuff blooming all year long," he said. "It's not tropical looking, it's a different look, but you don't have to water it as much."

Astle points to a need to change what people see as aesthetically pleasing in order to move forward with what could be a 40-year drought.

"People used to think of Southern California like you could pound a broomstick and the ground and it would grow," Astle said. "You just water everything and everything is like a lush Hawaiian golf course, but it isn't the climate we live in."

For Davis, she admits the change can be tough. She says her kids were concerned about losing their memories of playing on a lush front yard but says it was a change she's glad she made — even though she knows not everyone is ready to do it themselves.

"I have noticed a lot of people in our neighborhood taking out their lawns," she said. "But I've also notice people still hosing off their driveways and it makes me crazy."
 

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