In Southern California Permaculture Can Really Shine
For property owners or developers in Southern California, Permaculture can make the difference. This ecological design discipline reduces long-term costs. It also restores the landscape. You can create habitat for threatened and endangered pollinator species, such as the Monarch Butterfly, use much less water, and grow healthier plants. Permaculture is all about efficiency, and you can take advantage of its benefits.
Here in Southern California, where Eco-Logic is headquartered, drought is a major issue. Mismanagement of the region’s landscape is a major cause of drought. But this is preventable and reversible. Simple “fulcrum moves” used in permaculture design allow you to reap big benefits for little effort.
Southern California Permaculture Tips
Our top 3 tips to take advantage of permaculture in Southern California make it easy to benefit with the least effort. First, when you hire a landscape maintenance company, called a “gardener” here in SoCal, you are unwittingly assuring your landscape will be dependent on high-maintenance. Most people don’t realize these “mow-blow-and-go” companies’ lack of training and education means hiring them degrades your landscape. We understand these companies make their living providing landscape maintenance services, but we want to educate homeowners about the dangers of this type of landscape management. Next, we’ll look at lawn options you might not know about and how to take advantage of incentives that save you even more money. Finally, your soil health is vital to lowering the cost of maintaining your landscape.
- Tip #1 – Look for a “gardener” with some education in the landscape field. Ask them questions about their philosophy and basic services. If the main offerings they provide are lawn mowing, leaf blowing, and hedge trimming, we recommend you steer clear. These services are polluting, noisy, and remove plant material at the wrong times and in the wrong circumstances. It can be difficult to find a maintenance service with an educated staff and green knowledge, but the extra research and Q&A you do when looking to hire a gardener to take care of your yard can save you money and lost property value. Click here to download a free property value report.
- Tip #2 – Replace your high-maintenance lawn. You have options that include either plantings or a new lawn that is low-maintenance. Most people don’t know about ecological lawns, one of Eco-Logic’s specialties. You don’t have to mow or water, and you still get to wiggle your toes in living green grass. Another option is taking out your lawn entirely and getting beautiful plantings instead. You get cash-back for this option, further reducing your costs from those of maintaining a traditional high-cost lawn. Learn more about these options.
- Tip #3 – Focus on soil health to reduce maintenance and keep plants healthy, too. Southern California soils are often really more like dirt than soil. They have been dried out and compacted through lack of proper care. Exposed dirt is extremely difficult to grow in. So we recommend covering all areas of exposed ground area with some kind of mulch. We prefer shredded bark mulch. The great thing about this is that you can get free mulch from either your city or your local utility company when they trim trees along power lines. Be sure to cover the earth with a thick layer of this woody organic debris to get the intended benefits. Six inches applied will settle to four inches, which is the minimum Eco-Logic recommends to start building soil structure, moisture-holding capacity, and nutrients right away.
In Southern California Permaculture Can Reduce Your Costs
In this post, we’ve shared our top 3 tips for using permaculture to maximize your cost-savings and improve your landscape health. Following these essential permaculture strategies is a win-win for both the property owner and the landscape itself. A little research before you hire a gardener, replacing your lawn with low-maintenance options, and focusing on transforming dirt into soil will do wonders for your land and your pocketbook. 🙂
