Practical Tips for Conserving Water in the Landscape

Reducing outdoor water use on a residential scale is absolutely necessary during times of drought but is really something that we need to do consistently in the Mediterranean climate we live in here in California. Here are a few more tips to add to the article 'Save our water! Tips for conserving water outdoors' in the Chico News and Review January 30, 2014 issue:

1. Reduce/remove your lawn by sheet mulching
2. Plant perennials instead of annuals
3. Boost the soil food web living in your soil
4. Install a clothes washer greywater system
5. Harvest rainwater

Lego Sheet Mulch Example

My Aunt asked me recently about a good weed free mulch for topping her new sheet mulch bed -she doesn’t have a lot of on-site materials so what could she use? As a parent always trying to engage my kids in permaculture I posed this question to my 2 boys (ages 11 and 8 in 2012). 

Rather than answer me directly they were immediately inspired to create a sheet mulch example out of Lego.  I thought it was a great visual demonstration of all the layers and I decided not to press for an answer.  My question was far less interesting than building this model and they got a load of information from doing it.  Though, when finished, my eldest did tell me to make sure any mulch used was never sprayed with chemicals!

Sheet mulch layers pictured above:

SHEET MULCHING

Do you want more garden space without the hassle?   TRY SHEET MULCHING!!!

Sheet mulching is a method for turf eradication and also for building soil health on weedy or infertile ground.

 

By simply placing out overlapping sheets of clean cardboard, adding 4-6 inches of compost and a final layer of arbor mulch one can easily renovate a lawn into a functional and fertile garden space.

Click on the images below for more information.  Give us a call, mention this blogpost and receive a free estimate on turf removal!