How the rationing will work

It’s official. Water rationing, Phase 3 of Los Angeles’ water conservation ordinance, is set to go into effect June 1. What does that mean, particularly for the rising number of victory gardeners these days?

Sprinkler usage will be restricted to Mondays and Thursdays. Gardeners can use low-flow drip irrigation any day as long as it emits no more than two gallons per hour, and they can water plants by hand, but only before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

“People who hand-water have a measure of how much water they’re utilizing,” said David Nahai, general manager of the L.A. Department of Water and Power. “They can see how much water they need to sustain the plants they’re tending, so they tend to use water more responsibly. Sprinklers don’t discriminate that way.”

Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National Gardening Assn. in Vermont, suggests that restrictions could motivate people to mulch and grow edibles in season.

“The sad reality is that most vegetables are mostly water,” Butterfield said. “Don’t try and grow a bunch of salad greens in the heat of the summer.”

-- Susan Carpenter