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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPipeline 03 - Summer 2023T H E O T AY W ATER DISTRICT • P R OUDLY SERVING E A ST C OUNT Y AND TH E S OUTH B A Y SINC E 1956 A NE W SLETTE R FOR CUSTOMERS OF T HE O TAY WATER DISTRICT SUMMER 2023 Dedicated to Community Service FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL (619) 670-2222 OR GO TO OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quartely by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at otaywater.gov. Copywright ©2021 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. Nana’s Garden in El Cajon Wins WaterSmart Landscape Contest What was once a green front lawn with rose bushes is now a water-wise landscape called Nana’s Garden and is this year’s WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner. Nana’s Garden was created by El Cajon resident Lois Scott, who has earned the title “Best in District” in the Otay Water District’s service area. After years of facing high water usage, lack of rain, and rabbits invading her yard, Scott, a retired registered nurse of 42 years, decided to make a drastic change. In 2020, she began by applying for a rebate through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Landscape Transformation Program. She received a rebate amount of $4,161 for 1,387 square feet of turf removed. In 2021, Scott also applied for the San Diego County Water Authority’s WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program, which offers free classes on upgrading your yard. “I fell in love with all the different plants I was learning about in the class. With all the colors and textures, I couldn’t just limit my garden to a few plants,” said Scott. “I call my garden Nana’s Garden, full of lots of variation, just like my grandchildren.” With the help of kids from the neighborhood, she dug up dirt and rocks to create a pathway with decomposed granite and steppingstones. Three large boulders that she found on Craigslist are the new focal point of her succulent garden. “This 64-year-old grandma sure did bring many wheelbarrows of rocks in!” she expressed. With the help of her best friend, who is a succulent fanatic, she planted natives and succulents while a gardener converted her irrigation system from sprinklers to drip. The yard originally had 19 sprinkler heads that caused water runoff to the sidewalk. She capped 17 and left two for a drip retrofit, which consists of using traditional pop-up spray heads to install a drip system. She uses a drip line to primarily feed the trees and succulents, while a separate line and a rain barrel water the rest of the plants. Scott says she enjoys seeing her garden grow. Some plants are soft, fussy, slick, and smooth, while others are prickly. She is amazed by the richness of the purple in the lavender and the bright fluorescent of the honeysuckle. “The fun part now is to sit back and enjoy the gentle breeze while watching the honeybees, butterflies, and hummingbirds have their feast in my garden,” said Scott. “I am loving the lower water bill and knowing that I am helping the environment by saving water.” Her new landscape has allowed an overall water use reduction of an average of approximately 41% compared to the years before upgrading. To see photos of her yard, visit otaywater.gov/ landscape-contest-winner-2023. Register for classes and events at thegarden.org or call (619) 660-0614 x10 Become a Member Receive exclusive access, discounts, and amenities shared only by members. Enjoy a personalized garden experience when you choose one of four membership options. Visit thegarden.org/membership-2. Phone or Video Consultations Receive one-on-one advice for your water- wise landscaping project from professional landscape architects and designers. Fee: $70 members; $85 non-members. Visit thegarden.org/consultations. Tour the Garden Docents guide groups through the Garden to foster an appreciation of the natural environment and inspire saving water and related natural resources. See a list of tour options at thegarden.org/garden-tours. Wellness Classes Drop in or purchase a membership to attend wellness classes, such as yoga, cardio, strength, and core workouts, at the Garden. Visit thegarden.org/weekly-classes. Virtual Field Trip from the Garden Ms. Smarty-Plants™ offers teachers real- time virtual field trips for students in grades K-6. Students will discover the magic of plants, the changing environment, and water capture. Visit mssmartyplants.org/ fun-field-trips. Our Next-Generation Landscape Thousands of San Diegans have already embraced beautiful low-water landscapes as the climate gets hotter and drier. Native and low-water plants, improved irrigation technologies, and WaterSmart classes not only save water, but also reduce energy use, protect our natural resources, and create beautiful outdoor living spaces. Take advantage of free resources and rebates to upgrade your landscape. Summer is the right time to start planning. Learn more by visiting sdcwa.org/plant-me. Otay offers its customers rebates on rain barrels, cisterns, weather-based irrigation controllers, rotating sprinkler nozzles, flow monitors, landscape replacement, and more. For a full list, visit otaywater.gov/conservation-programs. Water Quality Report Available Online Learn about your water quality. Otay’s Consumer Confidence Report for calendar year 2022 is available. The District met or surpassed all state and federal public health drinking water standards. To request a printed copy, email info@otaywater.gov, call (619) 670-2222, or visit the District’s office at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd., Spring Valley, CA 91978. To view the report online, visit OtayWater.gov/ConsumerConfidenceReport. Reminder to Check Your Water Pressure It is the responsibility of homeowners to check for proper water pressure, which typically should be around 40 to 65 pounds per square inch (PSI). Water pressure regulators can last up to 20 years. A properly working residential regulator should never allow pressures above 75 PSI. If a customer is unaware of how to assess their regulator, the District encourages them to contact a plumbing professional. Nan Sterman is a garden expert, author, designer, and educator. Nan leads international garden tours, is the author of several books, and hosts the show A Growing Passion on KPBS TV, waterwisegardener.com Nan StermanWaterwise Gardener Summer Prune Fruit Trees If you grow peaches, plums, apples, or other types of summer fruit trees that lose their leaves in winter, it’s time to learn about summer pruning. These trees get their “big” prune in winter. Winter pruning stimulates trees to produce new fruiting wood. It’s when we remove broken and diseased branches and thin branches to ensure air and sunlight reach the center of the tree and shape the tree overall. Winter pruning - followed by dormant spraying - is a big job that is critical for the tree’s health and to ensure it fruits the following summer. Summer pruning is easy by comparison. It is just as important, yet few people know about it. Why: The goal of summer pruning is to keep trees at a manageable size. This light trim also helps maintain the tree’s structure. As an added benefit, summer pruning reduces the number of leaves, which in turn limits the tree’s ability to manufacture food. Less food means less energy for growing long branches, so eventually, your tree will stay small enough that it may no longer need summer pruning. Winter pruning, though, is always essential for fruiting. When: Summer prune just before or after fruit harvest. If you prune when fruits hang on the tree, it is easier to see which branches don’t fruit and which part of a branch does and doesn’t fruit. As an added plus, summer wood is soft and easier to cut than it will be by winter. And besides, pruning in nice summer weather is far more enjoyable than in winter’s cold and rain. Apricot and cherry trees are a little different from other stone fruits. Because they are more susceptible to disease, do their main pruning immediately after the summer harvest. In the drier weather, cuts heal quickly and are less prone to infection. How: If you haven’t already, decide on a maximum size for each tree. I prune to keep my trees low enough to harvest, prune, and spray without having to stand on a ladder. Since I am short (about 5’3”), I prune fruit trees to 7 feet tall and wide. Even for taller people, it’s best to keep trees at no more than 8 feet tall and wide. Pruning tools:• Serrated hand-pruning saw (NOT woodworking or constructionsaws)• Sharpened long-handled loppers • Sharpened hand-pruning shears • Greenwaste can• Household disinfectant spray• Soft rags Decide on your tree’s maximum height, then look at the tree. You’ll prune two kinds of branches. • Nonfruiting sprouts (aka water sprouts) are fast growing branchesthat seem to come from nowhere and grow beyond the rest ofthe branches. They sprout in spring and grow quickly to 3, 4, or 5feet long. These long, lanky branches have no flower or fruit buds.Their bark is usually soft and bright green or reddish, dependingon the type of tree. Cut these nonfruiting branches at their base, leaving behind the slight swelling where they connect to the tree (called the “branch collar”). DO NOT leave a stub; only leave the branch collar. You may need a pruning saw, pruning shears, or loppers for this job, depending on the diameter of the branch and how hard the wood is. If the branch is big enough for a pruning saw, make an undercut first, then cut the branch from the above.• Fruiting branches get shortened, aka headed back, to yourpreselected length. Before you make a cut, look closely at eachbranch, and notice its buds. Find the buds nearest the spot whereyou want to cut, then select the bud that points the direction youwant the branch to grow. Cut just past that bud (leave it attached). Don’t leave a stub behind. Remember, summer pruning is light pruning. If you prune while fruits are on the tree, be sure to thin them to one fruit every 4 to 6 inches along the stem. Don’t remove fruiting branches, shorten them. Don’t use pruning sealer. Cuts heal better without it if you leave the branch collar attached to the tree. You can summer prune figs, pomegranates, grapes, and evergreen fruiting trees like citrus, loquat, and avocado. These all take a bit more skill. Proper pruning makes for healthy plants and lots of fruits to enjoy all summer long. Are you confused about what to do in your garden? Sign up for my GardenWise Garden Guide. Each month, I’ll send you a list of tasks for that month, along with a shopping list, and how-to information. You also get a primer on growing and caring for one of my favorite waterwise plants. Find more information at waterwisegardener.com/ gardenwise-monthly-garden-guide. FOLLOW OTAY WATER ON... / SIGA AL DISTRITO DE AGUA DE OTAY EN... OTAY WATER DISTRICT – Board of Directors The Board of Directors meets the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 p.m. in the board meeting room at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Boulevard, Spring Valley, CA 91978. The public is encouraged to attend or watch the live stream at otaywater.gov. PresidentMark Robak, Division 5mrobak@otaywater.gov Vice PresidentJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov TreasurerRyan Keyes, Division 2rkeyes@otaywater.gov Board MemberTim Smith, Division 1tsmith@otaywater.gov Board MemberGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@otaywater.gov FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL (619) 670-2222 OR GO TO OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quartely by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at otaywater.gov. Copywright ©2021 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. El jardín de Nana en El Cajon gana el Concurso de Jardines WaterSmart Lo que alguna vez fue un jardín con césped y rosales ahora es un jardín de bajo consumo de agua llamado el jardín de Nana (Nana’s Garden), y es el ganador del Concurso de Jardines WaterSmart de este año. El jardín de Nana fue creado por Lois Scott, residente de El Cajon, quien ganó el título “Mejor del Distrito” en el área de servicio del Distrito de Agua de Otay. Después de años de tener un jardín que utilizaba grandes cantidades de agua, la falta de lluvia y los conejos que invadían su jardín constantemente, Scott, que ha trabajado durante 42 años como enfermera titulada, decidió hacer un cambio drástico. En 2020, solicitó un reembolso a través del Programa de Transformación de Jardines del Distrito Metropolitano de Agua del Sur de California. Ella recibió un reembolso de $4,161 por 1,387 pies cuadrados de césped que quitó. En 2021, Scott también solicitó participar en el Programa de Transformación de Jardines WaterSmart de la Autoridad del Agua del Condado de San Diego. Este programa ofrece clases gratuitas sobre cómo mejorar su jardín. “Me enamoré de todas las diferentes plantas sobre las que estaba aprendiendo en la clase. Con todos los colores y texturas me di cuenta de que no podía limitar mi jardín a unas pocas plantas”, mencionó Scott. “Llamé a mi jardín el jardín de Nana ya que tiene muchos elementos variados, como mis nietos”. Con la ayuda de los niños del vecindario, Scott quitó tierra y rocas para crear un camino con granito descompuesto y colocó peldaños. Ella encontró tres rocas grandes en Craigslist y ahora son el nuevo punto focal de su jardín de plantas tolerantes a la sequía (suculentas). “¡Esta abuela de 64 años trajo muchas carretillas llenas de piedras!”, mencionó Scott. Con la ayuda de su mejor amiga, quien es una admiradora de las suculentas, plantó plantas autóctonas y suculentas mientras un jardinero convertía su sistema de riego de rociadores a un sistema por goteo. El patio originalmente tenía 19 aspersores que provocaban el escurrimiento de agua hacia la acera. Ella tapó 17 aspersores y dejó 2 para convertirlos en un sistema por goteo, que consiste en usar cabezales de rociadores emergentes tradicionales para instalar un sistema por goteo. Ella usa una línea de goteo para alimentar principalmente a los árboles y plantas suculentas, mientras que una línea separada y un barril de captación de lluvia riegan el resto de las plantas. Scott dice que le gusta ver crecer su jardín. Algunas plantas son suaves, quisquillosas, resbaladizas y lisas, mientras que otras son espinosas. Ella está asombrada por la intensidad del color morado en la lavanda y el brillante fluorescente de la madreselva. “La parte divertida ahora es sentarse y disfrutar de la suave brisa mientras observo cómo las abejas, las mariposas y los colibríes se dan un festín en mi jardín”, mencionó Scott. “Me encanta que mi factura de agua es más baja y sé que estoy ayudando al medio ambiente al ahorrar agua”. Su nuevo jardín ha permitido una reducción general del uso de agua en un promedio aproximado del 41% en comparación con los años anteriores a la remodelación. Para ver más fotografías del jardín, por favor visite otaywater.gov/ganador- watersmart-2023