Grasscycling - the greenest way to mow your grass!

Grasscycling is the practice of leaving clippings on the lawn when you mow it. Why is this a good idea? Because grass clippings:

1. contain moisture so you won’t need to water your lawn as often;

2. contain nutrients that your lawn needs, which can reduce the amount of fertilizer you need to apply; and

3. breakdown quickly and easily.

Here is an excellent link that goes into depth about grasscycling.

To help you with grasscycling, you might also consider this excellent tool: a mulching mower. According to the CalRecycles website, “Mulching or recycling mowers make grasscycling easy by cutting grass blades into small pieces and forcing them into the soil. You may also want to consider purchasing an electric mulching mower to reduce air pollution.”

Fall is the Time for Planting your Drought Resilient Landscape!

As fall arrives, it’s a great time to give your water guzzling yard a makeover and install a beautiful, low water use landscape instead that provides year round color and interest, habitat and food for local birds, butterflies and bees, and reduces maintenance needs.

Our cooler autumn days and nights are just right for new, tender plants. Plus - fingers crossed! - our winter rains will water your landscape for you (although you will still need to be sure these new plantings get enough regular water as they are getting established). So go get gardening!

If you would like a free, step-by-step guide to planing a sustainable, drought-resilient landscape, look no further! Valley Water has recently published a gorgeous guide that you can access for free.

Planning on taking out your lawn? To learn more about receiving a rebate for transforming your lawn into a low water use landscape in Santa Clara County, and to start the online application process, click here. Remember, to remain eligible, application submittal and approval are required before starting your project.

Saving the Rain for a Less Rainy Day

We have finally had some rain - yay! But it is not too late to install rainwater capture components in your yard. And the best part is that you can receive rebates from Valley Water through the Landscape Rebate Program! Installing rain barrels or cisterns is a great way to capture rainwater that flows off your roof and save it for a dry day. Supplementing your irrigation with rainwater saves precious potable water and can save you money as well.

Adding a rain garden element to your landscape is also a great way to keep rainwater from flowing into the storm drains. Instead, roof water can be kept onsite to percolate back into our groundwater supply, which we rely on heavily to meet our water supply needs.

This video, by Landscape Architect, Stephanie Morris, walks you through a rain garden installation project designed to capture roof runoff and replenish our groundwater supplies.

For all rebates under the Landscape Rebate Program, including the Rainwater Capture Rebates, application submission and approval is required before purchasing any new equipment or starting any work.  For more information, or to get started, visit Valley Water’s site here or call our Hotline at (408) 630-2554.     

PLEASE NOTE: SAVE WATER, NOT MOSQUITOES!

Did you know that one of the most common problems with rain barrels is mosquito breeding? Thousands of mosquitoes can emerge from standing water inside a rain barrel. Follow these three simple steps to eliminate mosquitoes:

1.       Cover the barrel and all openings

2.       Empty barrels on a regular basis

3.       Keep the lid clear of standing water

Do your part to prevent West Nile and Zika virus outbreaks! Visit Santa Clara County Vector Control District for more info.