By Cindy Weiner, Butte County Master Gardener, September 25, 2015

While many native plants are drought tolerant once they are established, they will need supplemental irrigation during the first couple of years. If winter rains fail, both new and established plants will need irrigation during dry spells. Slow, deep irrigation is preferable to blasts of water from the hose. Most people rely on drip irrigation, but other methods can also work. Overhead watering should be done in the early morning so the leaves will be dry by nightfall.

Water the plant every 3 to 4 days for the first month after planting. Let the ground dry out a bit between waterings. Dig down a few inches to check if the soil is still moist. If it is, wait another day or two and check again. After a month, switch to irrigating once a week and continue this schedule through the first spring and summer, discontinuing when the next rainy season begins. You can also mist the plants with water occasionally to wash dust from the leaves. During the second spring and summer, switch to a schedule of irrigating once every two weeks or once a month.

After the second summer, most natives will be fully established. Those natives that are fully drought tolerant will no longer need supplemental irrigation except during dry winters. Others will continue to need supplemental irrigation. You'll need to research the cultural requirements of your native plants in order to decide whether to continue irrigation. Consider where the plant grows naturally. If the plant is native to coastal fog belts, mountain forests or riparian zones, it will require extra water during summer and fall. If it's native to the Central Valley or Sierra or inland coastal range foothills, it's probably drought tolerant.

There's no need to fertilize or heavily prune most natives. Prune only to remove dead leaves and branches or to correct the shape. You can pinch new growth to encourage more dense, full plants. Many natives develop seeds that attract birds, so consider deadheading only some of the spent blooms. Be vigilant in pulling weeds, especially when your native plants are new. Weeds compete for both water and nutrients in the soil. Natives are naturally resistant to most common insect pests, so the use of pesticides can be minimized.

Getting your native garden off to a good start will help make your garden sustainable for the long term.