Landscaping Tip of the Month: Keep Your Soil Healthy
Healthy soils cycle nutrients effectively, minimize runoff, retain water, and absorb excess nutrients, sediments, and pollutants. Have your soil tested for nutrient content, pH, soil composition, and organic matter content. Contact your local Cooperative Extension Office or state universities for a soil test kit or soil testing services. Very sandy soil, heavy clay, compacted soil, or extreme soil pH may impact which plants are right for your yard. In these cases, seek advice from a nursery, horticulturist, Cooperative Extension, or other expert. […]
Water Counts Academy 2023 is Coming! Apply by January 31
The Water Counts Academy is coming soon! The fun and informative online sessions are designed for current and emerging leaders in the Coachella Valley who want to learn more about water resources in the Coachella Valley. The comprehensive course covers the history, usage and management of water here in the Coachella Valley, giving academy graduates a better understanding the impact of water usage in the desert both past and present. […]
Plant of the Month: Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia Acanthorcarpa)
This multiple-branching cactus can take on a shrublike appearance with its Medusa-like branches. It grows to 4 feet high and 5 feet wide, with yellowish spines contrasting with its green branches. Its flowers are red or yellow, and they bloom in Spring. It is native to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Its canopy coverage is up to 20 square feet. […]
Coachella Valley December 2022 Drought Update
Recent rain and snowstorms have brought some relief, but not enough to get us out of drought. A few months of the wet season still remain, which typically is from November through March. Despite the early rain and snowstorms, we are still in a drought. Water is a limited natural resource and we need to continue to practice conservation as a way of life. […]
Landscaping Tip of the Month: Group Plants by Sun and Water Needed
Plants that are efficient users of water employ many tricks to stay alive. Some go dormant in the summer. Others have modified leaves that conserve available moisture by being thick, waxy, leathery, fuzzy or hairy. Other plants have green trunks and branches that carry out photosynthesis even if leaves drop. Still others have well developed, deep root systems designed to absorb available moisture. Some have seasonal adaptations. For a basic example, deciduous plants usually require more water in the summer, but survive on much less water in the winter. [...]
Water Counts Academy 2023: Apply by January 31
The Water Counts Academy is designed for current and emerging leaders in the Coachella Valley who want to learn about the lifeblood of our valley — its water resources. We are excited to offer this comprehensive course that will cover the history, use and management of water here in the Coachella Valley. […]
