Your Villa Magazine Desert Cities May-July 2021

Prepare and care before summer temps rise D E S I G N + B U I L D Rising temperatures and hints of summer begin to affect plants in many ways. • Water during the early morning and late evening to reduce water loss through evaporation. • Review drip irrigation systems and flush out debris that could clog lines or emitters to avoid water waste probelms. • Continue to gradually increase watering frequency and duration but try to keep regular sprinkler water off both tree and vegetable foliage. Drip irrigation is best. • Apply organic mulches beneath the root areas of citrus, roses and perennials to keep roots cool and to conserve water. • Clean up dead leaves and faded flower stalks on daylilies. • Remove spent yucca and aloe flower stalks once they are past their bloom. • Whitewash trunks of newly planted citrus trees using a rubber or water-based latex paint. • Shade tomato plants with 50% reduction shade cloth. Early summer is a good time to prune some trees and shrubs in your yard to control rampant growth of oleanders, citrus, lantana, bougainvillea and hibiscus. Remove crossing branches of palo verde trees. However, remove no more than 20 percent of a plant’s foliage at any one time to avoid stress. Summer is also good time to plant or transplant palms and cacti. When moved early in the warm season, these plants recover well, responding to heat and deep irrigation in well-drained soil. If you have fruit trees, pick early maturing fruit from deciduous trees to ripen indoors before the birds get at them. If you want tree-ripened fruit, netting also helps. For more gardening tips, consider purchasing CVWD’s book Lush & Efficient Desert-Friendly Landscaping in the Coachella Valley for $10 online at cvwd. org/store or call the customer service line at (760) 391-9600 to order by phone. CVWD Outdoor Water Efficiency Rebates & Discounts Facebook “ f ” Logo CMYK / .eps Facebook “ f ” Logo CMYK / .eps Visit www.cvwd.org/rebates for program details and requirements. Or call us at (760) 398-2651. Programs require pre-approval. Smart Irrigation Controller Landscape Conversion Sprinkler Nozzle Replacement 50 | YourVilla Magazine