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One of the greatest ways you can conserve water and support the native California ecosystem is by replacing your lawn with California native plants. This isn't just great for the environmental surroundings, however. Thanks to being drought-tolerant, these natives will also be great for your wallet. AND, it so happens that the most effective time to plant these plants is through the Autumn catalogue.
Why Springtime Planting Isn't Ideal
Southern California is principally desert and therefore the plants that evolved in this climate have their particular cycle, which often includes going summer dormant. If a particular species doesn't go completely dormant, it can nevertheless be sensitive to watering during summer time months. Hot, moist soil can stress, shock, and/or rot the roots of native plants. Just what exactly does this have to do with Spring?
Native plants need regular watering in the beginning to ascertain them. Once established, they will need little to no watering and can survive in the natural course of the seasons. The important thing phrase here is “once established.” In the event that you plant through the Spring, the weather is only going to obtain hotter and dryer, placing unnecessary stress on plants that aren't yet established, this means you'll need to over-water to compensate for the excessive dryness and heat, that'll likely lead to root rot and death for the plant.
The Ideal CA Native Planting Season
To prevent unnecessary stress on your own plants and to simply help them establish as naturally as possible, plant in the Autumn, ideally in late October to early November. The temperatures are beginning to cool and there is more precipitation, which gives your plants a low-stress establishment period. Additionally, the rain and cooler temperatures mean you don't need to water normally, already saving on the water bill, and letting nature help your plants establish themselves.
Examples of California Plants
Even once you've made a decision to plant an indigenous garden, you can find still choices to create regarding which plants is likely to be best for your soil and how a sun hits your yard. Not all plants will continue to work in virtually any spot in virtually any yard. You can get ideal planting information from the plant's description at the nursery or from an expert native landscape designer should you take that route. Whatever the case, they're a few of well known CA native plants for your consideration:
Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) California Lilac (Ceanothus) California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii)
For more information on California native plants, we recommend visiting (virtually and physically) the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants in Sun Valley, California. You can even look at the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) website for information.
Saving Water, Saving Resources
Transitioning into an indigenous, drought-tolerant garden isn't pretty much saving water, but leading an even more eco-friendly, environmentally-conscious existence and that is among our missions at Vosh. Our regular car wash uses less than three gallons of water and we also offer waterless car washes to save our most precious natural resource: water catalogue. For more information about us and our on-demand car wash app, visit