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San Diego

This year was a needed year off for our patch, just wondering how all californian growers are doing with the severe water restrictions? In San Diego country where I live, it's extreme. We are allowed 2 days a week to water, 10 minutes max. No water between 10 to 4. If I tried to grow this year, my plant would wither into nothing in 2 weeks! lol. Ended up being the perfect year to take off. Wondering how the rest of you socal guys and up north growers can make it unless on well water or sneaking the water in the patch! lol Big fines down here if we get caught.

Hey Chris, you and kevin better give me some handicap points in this giant tomato contest with no water to work with in my heat. lol

6/14/2015 9:02:04 PM

valparaiso, in

Why bother conserving?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rich-californians-youll-have-to-pry-the-hoses-from-our-cold-dead-hands/2015/06/13/fac6f998-0e39-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html

6/14/2015 10:19:06 PM

Torrance, Ca.

lol about the tomato Jim! Its probably all I should be growing with the restrictions.. They have us watering from 3:00 to 5:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I've set up driptape on all plants to conserve as much as possible.

We may learn this year that the plants need less water then we thought:)

6/14/2015 10:28:15 PM

San Diego

My plants are only developing the forth true leaf right now so I am not taking much water yet. I don't think it will be much of a problem because I will water them once in a wide area around the plant, and the ground will still be moist a week later, besides the top inch. My soil is pretty heavy but it is loose too and I have a small area. Twice a week for ten minutes will be plenty.I will use that time to fill up the buckets.

6/14/2015 10:50:50 PM

San Diego

3 days for 2 hours is awesome chris, you just gave me a 2 lb handicap on the tomato compared to 10 minutes twice a week lol

6/14/2015 10:58:20 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I'm good with the handicap Jim:)

6/14/2015 11:21:27 PM

Anchorage Alaska

maybe use can use your grey water for the plants ? just throwing that out there..in tough times

6/14/2015 11:30:20 PM

Central Ca

Team Faith- drought made me scratch a 1 acre giant pumpkin patch plan. Now just trying to keep my landscape alive. It seems the popular thing to do is to let your lawn die.
Great article Gritch
Dale- I got a delivery system for grey water in my head but the wife won't have it. I've read that there's a higher potential for pathogens in grey water and she won't have our kids playing on it. But it's better than nothin'.
So. Cal. Grower- You get 3 days? Here in Waterford I get 2, Tuesday and Saturday only, b4 9am and after 7pm. Anyone one have tips for plant care in this drought?

6/15/2015 6:20:05 AM

NILES , CALIF

Over here they are" Drought Shameing".if your growing anythimg that takes a lot of water, they stop and yell at you for wasteing all that water.

Um scared to have a green lawn or use up a lot of water!

6/15/2015 7:26:32 AM

Torrance, Ca.

KC Kevin and Firewood are both on grey water. In times like this, its the way to go Dale.

6/15/2015 8:08:05 AM

West Paris Me.

Dale may be onto something. Do they allow baths in California? Use the bathwater. Carrying it would be a pain but pumping it could work for maybe one plant. To the people who confront you about using all of that water ask them if they recycle their bath water or waste it. I would think that would make you more "green" than them.

6/15/2015 10:30:08 AM

Home of happy lil plants

sorry i hoard all the water down here during summer

6/15/2015 12:25:28 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

At my house, we keep a 5 gallon bucket in the shower to run the water in until it heats. Then I've got this thing called a lady bug connected to the faucet bib that shuts the flow off. The water in the bucket gets used for watering and flushing if we have extra.

Take that hose and run it for 10 minutes in a trash barrel and hand water with it as needed. That's what I do for my tomato and pepper garden.

My lawn is coming out eventually but I'm stuck in the approval process apparently. Still waiting for final approval.

6/15/2015 12:37:26 PM

Princeton Kentucky

Heatstroke I would recommend possibly using some kind of cut saw/deer grass (w/no seeds)and possibly hay/straw to hold in moisture, to keep moisture from evaporating quicker.Simply some kind of Mulch to hold in moisture longer. Old bed sheets from thrift stores/Salvation Army/Goodwill laid out under the leaf canopy will hold in moister and watering goes right thru them. They also hold back some weeds if double layered. You can simply tear them in 2ft linear sections and lay them out. Good Luck Ya'll.

6/15/2015 12:42:02 PM

quack quack flooding central iowa might install sump pump instead of drip tape

6/15/2015 5:06:28 PM

Piqua, Ohio

Is wal-mart still bottling water in California?

6/15/2015 5:53:49 PM

Wixom MI.

Plenty of water over here, havn't turned on the water yet this year ! May not have to this year if it keeps raining like this !

6/15/2015 8:28:36 PM

Omaha, Ne.

i haven't needed any city water here, rain totes keep me well supplied...so far

6/15/2015 8:35:11 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Every time I see those post of all the rain and the complaints,,,,all I can think of is what a blessing that would be to get just one of those down pours!

Its either to much or not enough and we have to find the best in what we have unless we have a greenhouse ;)

6/15/2015 9:07:27 PM

Upa Creek, MO

I was telling my wife earlier this season is pretty much a write off since it has rained non stop since April. We are projected 8-12 inches by Friday. I came really close to pulling plant earlier today. Would love to send some rain out to California

6/15/2015 9:35:45 PM

San Diego

I'm justifying my pumpkin growing this season by taking out my lawn. I've been installing a desert landscape with decomposed granite and plants that only need occasional dripping. This is something we've wanted to do for awhile anyway. With the pumpkins also on a drip system I'm not using much water. I'd really like to mist on the hot days but I decided to not use the extra water and just let the plant do what it does in the heat.

6/16/2015 12:27:17 AM

Quincy, CA

I've already done away with the lawn and am not growing tomatoes or tall corn this year; just three pumpkins, three sunflowers and a few peppers.
I'm going to hand water instead of the usual overhead sprinklers.
Meanwhile I drove through the Sacramento Valley last week and saw mile after mile after mile of flooded rice fields.

6/16/2015 1:38:19 AM

Princeton Kentucky

Luke from the looks of it, Tropical Storm Bill may help run some of those southern Missouri smallies thru yer frog pond. Todays word is "Hipwaders"

6/17/2015 10:04:08 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Luke, send Bill this way please........

6/17/2015 10:13:57 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Yes, I think this year is as good as done. Patch has been flooded out for 6 weeks (except last week). T-StormBill is supposed to dump another 7 inches by Friday and it hasn't stopped in 4 days.

Main vine is terminated and no females would take since they were under water. lol

6/17/2015 11:43:57 AM

Weatherman

If it was easy everyone would have a World Record pumpkin.

6/17/2015 1:23:38 PM

Central Ca

Thanks MidWestGrower

7/4/2015 5:12:43 AM