Replacing Mother Nature?

Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink. It sometimes can feel like that around here for our plants since we are surrounded by creeks and lagoons, not to mention our proximity to the ocean. Unfortunately, much of that water has a salinity level that is too high for our plants, which means that when rain is scarce, we must supplement the freshwater source. While we may have the best of intentions to keep our plants alive and our landscapes lush, Mother Nature is hard to replace! There are a few things we can do to make sure our efforts are effective and efficient.

1. Mulch, mulch, and mulch some more - Cover your soil with a blanket of organic material such as pine straw or leaves. This will moderate soil temperature, prevent runoff and evaporation, and most importantly it will hold moisture in the soil for longer periods between waterings.
2. Water deeply - Less frequent, deeper watering allows plant roots to grow stronger and healthier, and you will not need to water as often. To check whether it’s time to water, push your finger down into the soil. If it is still moist a knuckle or two deep, then it doesn’t need water yet. If it’s dry, then give the soil a nice, long, deep soak so that the water reaches the root zone.
3. Use an automatic timer -  An automatic timer can be used for watering your garden plants as well as general landscape. Whether you use a drip system or a sprinkler, both can be attached to timers, which you can set for automatic, daily, or regular watering cycles to ensure you are watering at the most effective time of day regardless of whether you are home (or awake!). If you already have a timer installed on your irrigation system(s), please double check that it is set for the proper time.

Residents are reminded that Chatham County watering restrictions apply year-round.

This restriction mandates that odd-numbered addresses water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Even-numbered addresses water only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. No watering is allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. or on Fridays.