Upcoming Co-op Workshops: Make Phoenix a Rainwater Haven

Did you know that you can join Watershed Management Group's Green Living Co-op, put in just 4 hours and get a 30% discount on our water-saving landscape services? Check out Watershedmg.org/co-op for more details and to sign up!
 

Pollinator Rain Garden in Apache Junction

Sat, Nov 10 @ 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Near Goldfield Rd & Superstition Blvd
Register (We need 14 more people!)
Join WMG's Co-op to help reshape a desert backyard into a pollinator rain garden! You will learn about the different types of pollinator plants and how to properly plant them, the benefits of mulch and how to apply it, and how to use small rock to help reduce erosion.



Backyard Rain Garden

Sat, Nov 17 @ 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Near 24th St & Indian School Rd
Register (Only 4 spots left!)
Help finish this Phoenix rain garden! We will be wrapping up the backyard by spreading a layer of wood chip mulch to retain the moisture and then begin working in the front yard. You will help plant a tree and vegetation to complete the front yard oasis. The heavy digging will be done prior to the workshop, so you can focus on the finishing touches to turn this urban front and backyard into an oasis!


Help Create a Pollinator Rain Garden

Sat, Jan 12 @ 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Curry Elementary School, Tempe
Register
Join in the fun at this educational work party and learn how to create a pollinator rain garden that will capture rainwater to help nourish native and desert-adapted, low-water plants.
The heavy digging will be completed beforehand so the day activities’ are focused on fine grading of the basins and berms, planting trees, shrubs and perennials that will provide shade, beauty, and attract the pollinators for years to come!

Let Watershed Management Group Help You Conserve Water and Energy!

Have you been wanting to start harvesting rainwater but the task seems daunting?  Let Watershed Management Group help you get started. WMG is seeking Co-op Workshop hosts who want to jump start their urban oasis, grow food more effectively, and conserve water and energy! An experienced WMG instructor will work with you to develop a design and lead a group of volunteers to implement green-living systems in a work party setting.  Co-op volunteers provide the labor, so you only need to pay for the instructor's time (at a discounted rate!) and materials.

Ryan Wood in the midst of a WMG Co-op Workshop

For more information on hosting a Co-op workshop, click here or contact Phoenix Program Manager Ryan Wood at rwood@watershedmg.org or 602-618-6650.

One of the Co-ops I personally attended was to build a passive solar-cooling arched trellis on the west side of a home in central Phoenix.  The job was amazingly organized and everyone learned a lot from the hands-on experience.  I was so impressed by the results that we built an identical trellis on the west side of my home!  My grapevines have a happy home and the bedrooms on the west end of my house are cooler.

Here are a few photos from the WMG Co-op Trellis build :

All the tools needed to bend the re-bar were provided by the Co-op, and the
materials were all there and ready for the build to begin!

A few Co-op members had experience in building a trellis with re-bar
and cattle panels, so there was no guess-work. They showed us newbies
how it was done and put us to work.

Even the home-owner's Dad took part, and gave his seal of approval!

Here's a recent pic of my solar-cooling trellis, built based on Watershed Management Group's design:

See what the Watershed Management Group's Co-op has been doing to transform landscapes around the Valley:

Upcoming Watershed Management  Group Classes and Workshops:

Labor with Your Neighbor: Create a Courtyard Rain Garden on Fri, May 18, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. - Join us and help transform a courtyard landscape into a beautiful and functional rain garden that will slow, spread, and sink the water where it's needed to nourish the plants. You will learn how to create raised planting areas using retaining blocks, how to create sunken pathways edged with materials the home owner has collected over the years, and how to create an additional sponge for the rain by using wood chip mulch on the sunken pathways. If you are available on Friday, May 18 and would like to learn how to make the most out of a small space this workshop is for you!  Near 15th Ave and Myrtle Ave in Phoenix. Register ahead of time!

Hydrate Mesa: Hydrate Your Yard - May 1, 2018 - 05/1/2018 6:00 PM
 Hydrate Your Plants - May 8, 2018 - 05/8/2018 6:00 PM
 Hydrate Your Food - May 15, 2018 - 05/15/2018 6:00 PM
 Cruise the Canals - 05/19/2018 9:00 AM
 Hydrate Your Soils - May 22, 2018 - 05/22/2018 6:00 PM
 Hydrate with Greywater - May 29, 2018 - 05/29/2018 6:00 PM  

Watering Tips for Desert Dwellers

See online version. or look for this
free guide at your local nursery.

Week 6 of the Master Gardener program covered watering.  Here are a few pointers -

1. We are probably all over watering our yards, especially if you have desert landscaping.  Big lush brittlebush popping up through your yard is a sign that you are over watering.

2. We need to move our drip emitters farther away from the trunks of our trees and shrubs out to the drip line (the outer canopy). The reason is that not all roots are water absorbing, the parts of the roots that absorb water are the feeder roots and they are out at the farther edges of the trees canopy, so that's why you need to move your emitters out farther.

3.  Learn how to operate your irrigation control box and change the settings at least 4 to 6 times throughout the year changing with the seasons.

4. Put on new emitters where you don't know the flow rate.

5.  Wateruseitwisely.com has a landscape watering guide and interactive online tutorial on how to water your landscape properly.

6. Try attaching a filter to your system to keep chlorine, calcium and salts contained in city water away from your plants and soil.  Available locally at GreenLife at a great price!



7. If you are really an avid gardener, and are buying a home in the valley, look for one in a neighborhood with flood irrigation. Its the best irrigation method and it's cheap! Flood irrigation water is river water, full of nutrients, no chlorine, flushes salts away from the tree root zones, and keeps salts from building up in the soil.

How irrigation works

Flood Irrigation | City of Tempe, AZ

The What, How and Why of Flood Irrigation

8. If you are not blessed with flood irrigation, the next best thing is rainwater harvesting.  The benefit is not just what you store in your tank, but that you can redirect the flow of water off  of your roof and into your garden and out to your trees.  Slow it, spread it, and sink it is the mantra of rainwater harvesters.

Rainwater Harvesting

Watershed Management Group

There are a lot of great rain water harvesting classes and workshops coming in the next few months!

City of Tempe Water Harvesting Class  Saturday, April 7 at 9 AM - 1 PM · Join us for a free class that will introduce you to strategies for using rainwater and greywater in your landscape. We'll teach you how to design your landscape to "plant the water" using rain gardens, rain tanks and greywater systems so you can grow lush plants, while saving money and water! vHosted by Watershed Management Group location - 1400 N College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281

Rain Barrel Workshops and Giveaway on Saturday, May 5 at 10 AM - 2 PM - Tempe Water Conservation presents a Rain Barrel Workshop and Giveaway at the Historic Eisendrath House on May 5, 2018. Four workshops featuring a live demonstration of how to build and install a rain barrel will be offered starting at 10AM, 11AM, 12PM, and 1PM. Attendees need only attend one demonstration to receive a free 55-gallon barrel to take home. All attendees will also have the chance to tour The Historic Eisendrath House for Water Conservation where sustainable practices are on display. · Hosted by Project Rain Barrel - River Network and Watershed Management Group. Location - Eisendrath House, 1400 N College Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85281

Water Recycling - Saturday June 9th - 11:00AM at Tempe Public Library - Slash your water bills by learning to implement gray water recycling in your home! Do you have a pond or garden that could use rain water to keep it living? Did you know you can collect dew?  Join Garden Pool and the Tempe Public Library to learn all about water recycling: how to capture, store, and reuse rain, dew, and gray water. Hosted by Garden Pool  Location: TPL Meeting Room A, Tempe Public Library, 3500 S Rural Rd, Tempe, Arizona 85282