About this this time of year, we start telling our customers all about summer water in the native garden. We usually hand them our older Sage Advice article printed on blue paper which is affectionately known as the “Summertime Blues” handout. Now for your convenience, our updated version of this handout is available in color and with all of its glorious detail for your use here on the website.
California native plants are well adapted to our climate and can tolerate extended periods of heat and drought in their natural setting. For natives to display such resilience during our long, hot, rainless season, they need to be well established with extensive, deep root systems. Branches shade the root zone and leaf litter or mulch will protect the topsoil from excessive drying. To have well-established landscape plants in the summer, you must plant in the fall, winter or spring. Summer is the most difficult season to install natives in the landscape, but not an impossible time. We encourage our customers to wait until fall if at all possible. If you are managing new plants during the hot season, here are a few tips…
Download the pdf: 
Summer Water for Native Plants