Water wisdom coming this weekend

Two trained and certified UC Master Gardeners with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources will talk to homeowners about their irrigation systems at a free seminar May 9 called “Planning for Drought," reported Thaddeus Miller of the Merced Sun-Star.

UC Master Gardener Dave Hackney, based in the Merced County UC Cooperative Extension office, said about half of all water used in residential homes goes to the landscape. The seminar will cover products on the market that water the lawn more slowly, which allows for liquid to penetrate the ground without running off sloped lawns.

The seminar also will cover drip irrigation for home gardens. “At this point in the season, we're really concentrating on low-water plants and water efficiency for homeowners,” he said.

In Riverside, UC ANR Cooperative Extension environmental horticulturalist Dennis Pittenger will appear at a local bookstore to discuss the newly published second edition of the California Master Gardener Handbook, reported Stephanie Schulte in the Press-Enterprise.

Pittenger has been traveling around the state promoting the publication and giving tips on being water-wise, the article said. Pittenger said a recurring question keeps cropping up at his bookstore talks.

“People have a hard time knowing if they are under or over watering,” he said.

His advice is simple: “Trim back, many plants don't need as much water as you might think,” he said.

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