Water by the Seasons
Prep Now for a Great Edible Winter Garden
Growing winter veggies is a fun and valuable effort more people should experiment with in our area. In many ways, winter gardening is a lot easier than trying to garden in the summer — there are fewer pests, cooler temperatures require less watering and common winter veggie’s seeds are super easy to germinate and then cultivate. Two things are important to ensure success: the timing of starting seeds and modifying the climate to extend the season.
If you’re hoping to enjoy sweet, delicious, and healthy salads and other dishes all winter long, it’s important to start your seeds by the middle to late August. Unfortunately, by then, we’re usually very tired of the heat and of taking care of the plants in our yards. It’s not a time we often think about starting new seeds. However, it’s important to start seeds early so the plants can reach a good size before it gets cold. This is where being able to modify the climate in your garden is important on both sides of the spectrum. When starting seeds at the end of the summer and it’s still hot, having some sort of shade fabric to keep things a little bit cooler makes all the difference. Later, when it starts to get cool, being able to cover your garden bed with a row cover material, sometimes called Reemay (white polyester nonwoven fabric), modifies the climate in the other direction by making it a few degrees warmer and more protected — crucial for having productive beds of kale, Swiss chard, beets, lettuce, spinach, radishes and other yummy veggies. Most of those veggies are super easy to germinate, usually popping up within a couple of days — another reason why this kind of gardening is especially fun for beginners or people feeling frustrated with starting seeds.
Being able to walk out to your garden and harvest a colander full of fresh kale and Swiss chard is a true delight and can save a lot of money if it’s something that you purchase at the store regularly. Winter gardening is easier because the temperatures are cooler and you have to water only once about every two or three weeks, December-February. Also, the cold temperatures don’t allow for many pests. Some of my favorite veggies to grow in the winter are kale — I really enjoy red Russian and Dino — beets and collard greens, all of which increase in sweetness substantially once the temperatures begin to drop.
There are substantially less pests in the fall, winter, and early spring compared to the summer. Two pests that you might encounter are aphids and cabbage worms which are relatively easy to manage. Cabbage worms can be avoided by covering your plants with the row cover material to exclude the cabbage moth from laying eggs on your tender greens.
Another advantage of having hoops and shade or frost fabric is that it can protect plants from hail damage. Similarly, some people like to start their tomatoes under row covers to exclude leaf hoppers which can transfer the curly top tomato virus (Learn More in this article by NMSU.)
Creating hoops for your garden to help modify the climate and extend the season is easy to do using common materials — ½” by 10-foot lengths of PVC, 2-foot lengths of 3/8” rebar (both items can be purchased pre-cut at home improvement centers), extra-large binder clips (available at office supply stores), row cover material or shade fabric (available at some local nurseries and greenhouse supply stores), and some stones or bricks to help hold down the fabric at the edges and ends. You may also consider having loose-weave burlap to lay on the soil to facilitate seed germination and keep foraging birds at bay.
Other Tips:
- Use burlap to help retain soil moisture between waterings and keep birds away when germinating seeds.
- A thick, 3-4” layer of mulch such as straw or leaves (once seeds have germinated) is incredibly helpful for keeping moisture in the soil and regulating soil temperature.
- If you have room, allow winter veggies such as arugula to flower and go to seed. Arugula flowers are beautiful and beneficial for pollinators. If left to go to seed, they also benefit birds and often result in new “volunteer” plants the following year.
- You don’t need much space for a winter garden — a thriving 4’ x 8’ bed of leafy greens is plenty for a small family.
- Installing hoops is simple: Pound the 3/8” rebar about 12”-14” deep, slip the ½” PVC over the rebar, clip the fabric to the PVC with extra-large binder clips and weigh down the edges and ends with stones.
- A 10’ length of PVC on a 4’ wide bed makes a hoop about 4’ tall. Having a 12’ wide piece of row cover fabric allows for 1’ on each side to secure it with stones.
Learn more here:
Vegetable and Herb Gardening in Small Spaces
Easy Edibles for First-Time Growers
Irrigation Equipment for your Holiday Gift List
Below are some great gifts for that homeowner who likes to tinker in their yard and also save water. Practical gifts are always in style!
Xeriscape Guide and Irrigation Efficiency Guide: Check out the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s FREE xeriscape and irrigation guides that you can download for your stocking stuffers.
Irrigation Fanny Pack Maintenance drip kit: Drip irrigation isn’t rocket science. Fixes and tweaks can easily be done by the homeowner. This fanny pack drip maintenance kit ($40) comes with all the parts you need to maintain your system. The kit also contains two books: Irrigation Maintenance Made Easy, which teaches you how to make those simple fixes, and New Mexico Plants Made Easy, which features 60 plants that grow well in the Albuquerque area.
Hose watering system is great for homeowners who aren’t ready to install an in-ground irrigation system and need an inexpensive (under $100) way to water. The hose timer attaches to high-quality irrigation polypipe with drip emitters or connects to a professional landscape dripline. The irrigation dripline can stay in the ground year-round and be easily connected to an automatic in-ground irrigation system in the future.
Smart Controller: This handy device ($100-$200) allows you to program days of the week, times of the day and the number of minutes to automatically irrigate your landscape according to seasonal weather and plant needs. EPA Water Sense Smart Controllers adjust landscape irrigation schedules using WIFI to collect weather data in conjunction with the information you provide about your plant type, soil type and other important factors that affect the irrigation schedule. The Water Authority’s irrigation efficiency specialist says, “While an irrigation controller is a must for your landscape, a smart controller adjusts your watering based on the local weather conditions.”
Learn more here:
Rebate: WaterSense Smart Irrigation Controllers
Simple Fall Maintenance for Albuquerque Landscapes
Make getting a Xeriscape rebate your New Year’s resolution!
The desert friendly xeriscape conversion incentive rebate has been around since the early ’90s and is still going strong. Millions of square feet of thirsty lawns have been converted to healthy xeriscapes that save billions of gallons of water. Although the xeriscape conversion rebate’s application process has a few more steps than our other rebates, our experts are here to help you every step of the way. Remember to contact our xeriscape inspector, Amos Arber, before you stop caring for your lawn or start tearing it up.
Below, Amos answers some of the most frequently-asked questions.
Q: I want to replace my lawn with gravel because I’m trying to save water. Why do I need to include new plants in order to be eligible for a rebate?
A: The xeriscape rebate is meant to incentivize our customers to add a 50% coverage (at maturity) of new plants, drip irrigation, and mulch (gravel, crusher fines, wood chips) to encourage healthy xeriscapes. Plants provide a range of benefits, such as shading the ground to help our city stay cooler, providing wildlife habitat and keeping our neighborhoods looking beautiful.
Q: Do I have to convert my entire lawn to get the rebate?
A: No. Projects can be done in phases or only part of the lawn can be converted as long as it is at least 500 square feet.
Q: Will I receive a check from the Water Authority when the project is complete?
A: We do not issue checks. All rebates are credits towards your account. Participants do not have to pay on their account until the rebate is used up, which may take more than one year.
Q: Can I include a patio or pathway in the project area?
A: Yes. Plants do not have to be spread evenly throughout the former lawn area. They can be denser in some areas to accommodate a small patio or pathways.
Q: I want to replace my lawn with artificial turf. Can I get a rebate?
A: If the area of fake grass is small and you can fit in the required amount of plants in the rest of the project area, you can get the rebate. If the area of plastic lawn is covering all or most of the former living lawn area, you will not be able to meet the rebate requirements.
Q: Do I have to hire a professional to do the design or installation work?
A: No. We encourage folks to do the designing and installation work themselves and have many helpful resources. Not only can DIY projects save money but they can empower homeowners and help them feel comfortable performing necessary landscape maintenance.
Q: I’d like to convert my lawn, but I have no idea how to get started. What do I do?
A: Check out the Resources and Landscape Tips tabs on our website. We have several great articles on everything you need to know to get started. Another option is to ask our xeriscape expert Amos Arber (505-208-2015) to meet you on-site. He will explain the rebate process, tell you about important site conditions to consider, offer plant and design ideas and help you put together a list of questions to ask a contractor.
Q: Is it okay to use plants I’ve grown myself?
A: Yes. A good way of saving money is to transplant or propagate your own plants.
Q: Do you have any tips for doing a project on the cheap?
A: We encourage folks to do the projects themselves since DIY projects can save at least 75% of the cost of hiring a contractor. Other ways of saving money include using free woodchip mulch that’s available from tree services (gravel and weed fabric can be expensive) and purchasing bulk organic mulch to receive an extra $100 rebate. When purchasing container plants, compare costs. For example, a five-gallon rosemary plant gets the same number of plant points as quart-sized rosemary but costs 80% less. Also consider using recycled materials, such as broken concrete pieces, instead of expensive flagstones.
Q: I’ve already completed a xeriscape project but did not apply for a rebate or get my lawn inspected before it was removed. Can I still get a rebate?
A: Unfortunately, no. We need to document the existing lawn before it is removed. This ensures that our customers’ funds are used only to convert thirsty lawns.
Q: I don’t have a lawn but want to fix up my yard with new xeric plants. Can I get a xeriscape rebate?
A: No, however, we have lots of rebates that might apply for other yard renovation projects such as the Treebate.
Q: Some of the plants I want to use are not on the master plant list. Can I use those plants in my project?
A: If the plants you want to use are cultivated varieties of plants on our master plant list (plant names are listed in quotes), you can use them. If not, you are welcome to install them in your yard, but they will not count towards the required plant total for your project. Our master plant list contains over 600 plants proven to thrive in our area for all landscape types and conditions.
Learn More Below:
Watering in winter
Baby, it’s cold outside. Or is it? How do you water during the cold and dry winter season?
The weather predictions are in, and we are headed into a very dry La Niña winter season. This means we need to water our plants this winter in order to keep them healthy. Due to our freezing temperatures we recommend turning off your irrigation system for the season and using your hose to water once a month during the middle of a warm winter day.
Watering Tips:
For cool season grass lawns, thoroughly water every other week.
For deciduous and evergreen trees, lilacs, photina’s, euonymous, rose of Sharon, spirea and forsynthia, water once a month to 24” deep.
When watering by hand remember to make sure your hose has a shut off valve or nozzle on the end of it. One hour of hose watering at a trickle is a good rule of thumb. for trees check out this link. To find out how deep you are watering read more here.
The Balancing Act of Watering Trees in the Fall and Winter
The balancing act of watering your trees in the fall and winter is important. Established trees should be watered two to three times a month in the fall season and once a month in the winter season. If not watered properly, trees that get too dry during this time can suffer stress and drought injury. This often does not show up until the heat of the following summer, which then makes trees more susceptible to pests and disease. Fall is the time to set your trees up for winter success.
Other important factors to consider when watering trees:
- Newly planted trees (trees planted within 1-3 years), are more susceptible to damage from dry conditions and should be watered more frequently than established trees. Try watering them to a depth of 24 inches three times a month in the fall and twice a month in the winter.
- Evergreen trees lose water through their needles in the dry winter air. They need more stored-up water going into the winter season to make up for that. Cold, dry winds can strip water from evergreens faster than their roots can absorb it, too. That is why it is especially important to provide enough water in the fall and during dry, warm spells in the winter.
- Even though they lose their leaves, deciduous trees should also not get too dry in the fall and winter. Water acts as an insulator for both the tree and soil. Soil that stays moist will be warmer. Likewise, plant cells that are plump with water will be less susceptible to damage from the cold. Water deciduous trees to a depth of 24 inches twice a month during the fall and once a month in the winter.
- When watering any tree, remember to apply water out to the edge of the tree’s canopy drip line. Most established trees have a root spread equal to their height and beyond. Water deeply and avoid spraying foliage. Watering to the right depth depends on your specific soils, so you will want to measure how much water it takes your soils to reach 24 inches deep. Read this article for tips on measuring watering depth.
One of the best things you can do for your trees in the coming months is to add mulch. Layering three to four inches of organic mulch protects the soil from moisture loss and helps regulate soil temperature throughout the winter. Treebates for bulk organic mulch is available.
Pro Tip: “Watering to the right depth and managing the frequency of watering are both very important aspects of keeping our plants healthy throughout the year, but especially in the fall and winter months,” says Patrick Chavez, Trees of Corrales Wholesale Nursery.
Have a question about the article? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org