The answer to that great question depends on so many factors.

• Do you live inland or coastal?
• Is your garden in the sun or shade?
• Is it windy where you live?
• Is your soil clay, sand, loam or some combination?
• What plants are you watering? Tropicals? Succulents? Annuals? Lawn? Vegetables? California Natives?

Knowing all those answers will help you determine how often and how long to water your garden. In general, we overwater. A plant looks unhealthy so we water it again. It is best to water deeply and less frequently. This may mean watering for 10 minutes, waiting a few hours and watering a second time so that the water percolates deeply into the soil where the roots are. You don’t want the water to run off onto the sidewalk or into the gutters. It is best to water very early in the morning so that the water will evaporate off of the leaves, the wind will not spray the water everywhere, and the plants will have time to take up the water before the heat of the day. Using a soil moisture meter is a great way to evaluate how dry/wet you soil is. They can be purchased at most garden centers as well as online.

The most important tip is to know your plant. Keep the tags, research online, and buy a garden book to help you understand what each plant needs.

Here are some wonderful websites to help you:

Lawns: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/MAINTAIN/irrfreq.html

Soils: https://ucanr.edu/sites/mg-plumas-sierra/Plumas-Sierra_Gardening_Info/Soils/

Irrigating vegetables: http://sfp.ucdavis.edu/pubs/Family_Farm_Series/Veg/Irrigating/#when

SD County Water Authority Plant List: https://www.sdcwa.org/sites/default/files/Nifty50.pdf