Marilynne Manfredi: Yes it rained, but drought not over yet

Despite Monday’s soaking rain, the drought is not over in Merced. We all need to continue to conserve water, especially in our landscapes where it is estimated 50 precent or more of our monthly use water goes.

With cooler weather, the need to water lessens and it’s time for everyone, including businesses, to turn automatic sprinklers to off. Plants don’t need the same amount of water in April as they do in July. Turf and most landscape plants will survive fine without any additional water over the next several months.

Automatic sprinklers are a luxury that save us a lot of time, but they can also waste water if not checked regularly. Checking your system for broken sprinklers and misplaced spray. An easy way to adjust your sprinkler system is to use the “percentage” output, that way you don’t have to ad just the times. Businesses also need to get on board. Allowing water to run down the gutter is unacceptable for any of us.

If you have questions about watering or other gardening questions, contact UC Master Gardeners helpline, 209-385-7403 or cemerced@ucdavis.edu

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Marilynne Manfredi: Yes it rained, but drought not over yet."