2014-0328 Drought

Hi All –

I am wondering how my poor garden will survive this summer if we go on water rationing.  We just have not had much rainfall this winter so must conserve what water we have. 

Years ago, I installed a micro-irrigation system (aka drip-irrigation system) in both the front and back yards.  I have two circuits in the front yard and two for the backyard.  Each circuit is controlled by a timer in the garage so I can have the circuits come on at different times during the week for different durations.  This helps meet the different water needs of my plants.  For instance, annuals planted in the flower bed and the vegetable garden might need watering every day while established shrubs (such as camellias) might need to be watered only infrequently. 

The types of heads (emitters) available for micro-irrigation are numerous.  I have some that provide a fine mist, either in one direction or in two (opposite) directions.  Some emitters provide drops of water at a controlled rate, such as ½ gph (gallon per hour).  These are good for hanging baskets.  Another type of head provides a circular spray.  By twisting the top, you can control how far the spray extends.  Some heads are called bubbler heads and provide a constant amount of water for shrubs despite differences in pressure. 

This year, however, depending on the water situation, I may have to cut back on my plantings.  I might forego the annuals and the vegetables so that I am not using so much water. 

I also have a small pond in the backyard in which I have water lilies and mosquito fish.   Raccoons like to visit my pond and wade around in it looking for fish.  The mosquito fish are small and drab looking so aren’t easily caught.  People with koi fish (which are big and colorful) are plagued by raccoons and birds trying to catch the koi.  My pond is too small for koi anyway.  Raccoons don’t seem to care about preserving my water lilies as they search for something to eat so I have to cover the pond with wire mesh at night.

I will miss my flowers this year but in the interests of conservation, it is only a small sacrifice.

Have a great week!

Kevin

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