I took this class

The three hour class was titled "Water Saving Irrigation - Techniques & Technology" and was put on by Pasadena Water and Power.

THE MOST "LIFE IS UNFAIR" THING I LEARNED
. That my daughter, who has never met a potted plant that she likes or owned one that she has not murdered; who waters her front yard, oh, once a month IF she remembers, is actually practicing a form of "tough love" on her poor unappreciated and neglected plants. Evidently plants actually LIKE to be stressed a bit so they can rest and recouperate and so they will grow stronger and deeper roots. That is why her roses are beautiful and her grass doesn't die and why, when the much loved and pampered plants and trees of the more virtuous amoung us will suffer and die in the anticipated drought, her yard will continue to thrive. Doesn't this sound UNJUST and just plain WRONG?!

THE USEFUL THINGS I LEARNED:
. That it is the length of the day NOT the temperature which determines a plant's water needs. Thus, more water is needed on a cool June 21st (the longest day of the year) than on a sizzeling 100 degree+ day in August or September. The plant only works when the sun shines. The longer the day the longer it needs water to work.

. That the slower the water is delivered to plants the more is absorbed.

. That most plants have an ideal root (the roots that can absorb water) length of only 18 inches - even trees. For trees the long "tap" root that everyone talks about is just to keep the tree upright.

. That you should never plant anything below the soil line - a few inches above is better - because the plant will choke to death.

. That the hole that you dig to plant something can be as wide as you like, but should not be any deeper than the longest root.

. That a rule of thumb watering schedule is: 3xWk in summer; 2xWk in fall and 2xMo in winter (only if needed) for approximately twelve minutes if you are ovehead watering.

. That the symptoms of OVER-watering and of UNDER-watering are exactly the same - wilt.

. That overhead watering needs to be done in the early morning , but underground or drip watering can be done at almost any time during the day.