shop plants

[Jane Maria]

One of the best ways you can conserve water and support the native California ecosystem is by replacing your lawn with California native plants. This isn't just advantageous to the environment, however. Because of being drought-tolerant, these natives are also advantageous to your wallet. AND, it so happens that the most effective time and energy to plant these plants is through the Autumn shop plants.

Why Springtime Planting Isn't Ideal

Southern California is mainly desert and and so the plants that evolved in this climate have their particular cycle, which often includes going summer dormant. If a particular species doesn't go completely dormant, it could be sensitive to watering during the summertime months. Hot, moist soil can stress, shock, and/or rot the roots of native plants. Just what exactly does this have to do with Spring?

Native plants need regular watering in the beginning to determine them. Once established, they will need little to no watering and can survive in the natural course of the seasons. The important thing phrase here's "once established." If you plant through the Spring, the weather is going to obtain hotter and dryer, placing unnecessary stress on plants that aren't yet established, this means you'll need to over-water to pay for the excessive dryness and heat, that will likely cause root rot and death for the plant.

The Ideal CA Native Planting Season

In order to avoid unnecessary stress in your plants and to greatly help them establish as naturally as possible, plant in the Autumn, ideally in late October to early November. The temperatures are beginning to cool and there is more precipitation, which provides your plants a low-stress establishment period. Additionally, the rain and cooler temperatures mean you don't need to water normally, already saving on the water bill, and letting nature help your plants establish themselves.

Types of California Plants

Even once you've made a decision to plant an indigenous garden, you can find still choices to make regarding which plants is going to be best for the soil and how a sun hits your yard. Not totally all plants works in any spot in any yard. You can get ideal planting information from the plant's description at the nursery or from a specialist native landscape designer should you take that route. In any case, they are a number of the most popular CA native plants for the consideration:

Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
California Lilac (Ceanothus)
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii)

For more information on California native plants, we recommend visiting (virtually and physically) the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants in Sun Valley, California. You can also visit the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) website for information.

Saving Water, Saving Resources

Transitioning into an indigenous, drought-tolerant garden isn't nearly saving water, but leading a more eco-friendly, environmentally-conscious existence and that is one of our missions at Vosh. Our regular car wash uses less than three gallons of water and we also provide waterless car washes to save our most precious natural resource: water. For more information about us and our on-demand car wash app, visit shop plants