How to Prepare Your San Diego Garden for Summer Drought

Prepare Before the Heat Peaks

Coastal wind and inland heat strip moisture from bare soil. Get mulch down, fix leaks, and shift to deep cycles while nights are still mild.

Step by Step

1. 1

   Mulch every bare bed

   Cut evaporation and buffer heat. Keep mulch off soft stems and clear of trunks.

2. 2

   Water the root zone deeply

   Morning watering reduces evaporation. Moisten several inches down; prefer drip over midday spray.

3. 3

   Schedule by depletion, not panic

   Established woody plants often thrive after roughly half of available moisture is used — not daily light sprays.

4. 4

   Prioritize new plantings

   First 1–3 years need closer checks: root balls can dry while surrounding soil feels damp.

5. 5

   Edit schedules before Santa Anas

   Cut overlapping zones; enable weather adjust; walk for geysers after a run.

San Diego Tips

• Many yards can cut 20–40% just by reducing overwatering gradually.
• Myth: natives do not save water unless you reduce irrigation.