Water Management, Technology and Plant Materials
Water is a focal point in every operation of Steven Smith Landscape. Given that southern California is reclaimed desert, water issues are hard for a landscape contractor to ignore – no water, no landscape. Steven Smith Landscape has been keenly aware and very active in water management, from working on legislation on a statewide level to utilizing upgrading sprinkler heads here in Southern California.
Your area’s restrictions are charted on the County Wide Water Restrictions Matrix. You can keep pace with the Water Conservation Action Committee. For an in depth look at our water situation you can read the Water Conservation Blueprint or the California Landscape Contractors Association’s publication of “Our Water Our Future.”
There are many ways you can save water by initiating some of the conservation management practices, installing technology and/or plant materials with which we’ve have a great deal of success.
Management
Our supervisors and superintendents are trained in irrigation management for every type of landscape. There are many tools and programs accessible to the homeowner.
- Mapping: a process in which we establish a road map of your property’s irrigation system
- Scheduling: we develop water requirements for each microclimate, frequencies, and durations
- Controlling: we establish how to best control your irrigation schedule
- Soil testing: this determines soil type and chemistry
- Water auditing: we test your irrigation systems to evaluate application rates and distribution uniformity
Technology
Technological breakthroughs can manage your water usage while your landscape flourishes. As with every facet of our lives these days, many different levels of technology are available- from mapping global weather systems to installing drip systems.
- Smart controllers: an irrigation controller utilizing a type of evapotranspiration based schedule
- Rotating nozzles: nozzles that rotate with lower precipitation rates
- Low volume irrigation: ultra low precipitation rate spray system
- Drip irrigation: applies small amounts of water in a very specific area
- Moisture sensors: senses moisture in soil
- Onsite weather stations: based on tracking current weather conditions that generate irrigation schedules
Plant Materials
There are a wide variety of drought tolerant plants that will beautify your property without using all your water. Check out Steve’s list of top picks for drought tolerant cal wise plants with which he’s had the best results. San Diego County Water Authority’s list of San Diego water wise plants is called the Nifty Fifty. Visit the Cuyamaca College Conservation Garden for more ideas of the different ways these plants can be used in your landscape.