Water wise gardening

Barbara Gaea has been trying to start a dry gardening fad ever since she moved to Vallejo almost 15 years ago — and its time may have finally come.

With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's official declaration of drought earlier this month, and mandatory water rationing in some Bay Area counties, Gaea takes pride in her non-green yard, which is adorned with a "golden lawn like the golden hills of California" sign.

"Gold is beautiful. It's natural," said Gaea, who also cultivates drought-resistant plants.

While Gaea advocates not watering at all, local plant experts suggested cutting back on water but not turning off the moisture altogether.

"Most grass, if you stop watering it, it's going to die," said landscaper Brett Begbie, who owns Golden Gate Gardens in Benicia.

Wild grasses of the Bay Area hills go dormant in the summer, but domestic grass will likely die if it doesn't see any water for a whole summer, he said.

But there are ways to sustain household flora while being water wise.

The simplest solution is to water less often and to make sure no drop is wasted. People often water every day, when watering two or three times a week is usually sufficient, said Jake Mikolajcik of Mid City Nursery.

Keeping grass long in the summer also helps with water retention, he said, while cutting it short in the winter keeps it healthy by increasing air flow.

To maximize watering efficiency, Begbie recommended watering

with a drip system rather than a spray system. Not only does a drip system reduce runoff, it makes plants more drought-resistant by encouraging deeper root growth.

Installing a drip system is fairly simple, Begbie said, but there are also ways to make an existing spray system more efficient. Check the entire system for leaks and adjust timers to water in the morning to save water. Aerating soil and watering in several short cycles minimize runoff.

Solano County water users are not facing any cutbacks this year, but Solano Water Agency officials said proactive conservation measures will help ensure water supplies remain secure.

Vallejo and Benicia landscape maintenance staff said they've been working on conservation measures for years. Both cities use primarily drought-resistant plants in landscaped areas and employ monitoring systems that measure moisture levels and water accordingly.