Easy ways to get started

Check your irrigation system

• Look for broken or out of adjustment heads.
• Set your controller properly for the season.
• Ask your water supplier for a Water-Wise House Call by going to rwah2o.org/rwa/educated/homeowners/ or calling 1-888-987-8477.

Use mulch in flower, vegetable, and shrub beds

• Mulch is a covering of organic material, which can prevent water loss, keep weeds down, and decompose to make the soil healthy.
• Use mulch materials such as shredded bark, ground up tree
  trimmings, and fallen leaves.
• Apply mulch three inches or more deep. Keep mulch away
  from the base of trees and shrubs to reduce damage from
  disease and pests.

Use compost to improve soil health and fertility

• Reduces fertilizer needs
• Improves water use efficiency
• Incorporate when planting or apply to shrubs and lawns

Grasscycle when mowing lawns

• Grasscycling allows grass clippings and their nutrients to be recycled into the lawn and soil, reducing the need for fertilizers. In addition, there is less waste sent to the landfill.
• Replace the standard blade on your lawn mower with a mulching blade that cuts clippings into smaller pieces that break down more readily.
• Remove the bag (so the clippings stay on the lawn) and mow as usual.