Use microirrigation or hand water whenever possible
Water early in the morning
Water when plants show signs of wilt or heat stress
Water more thoroughly less often
2. Fertilizer
If you are happy with your plant’s appearance, don’t fertilize
Use slow release fertilizer
Don’t fertilize before a heavy rain
Don’t use weed and feed products
3. Pest Control
Conduct regular scouting for pests
Remove affected leaves and plant parts and pick insects off by hand
Only 1% of all insects are pests
Spot treat with pesticide only if absolutely necessary
4. Weed Control
Hand-pull weeds
Spot treat with herbicide only when necessary; use a spray shield
Use organic weed killer
5. Pruning
Prune dead and broken branches
Maintain the natural plant shape
Overpruning can decrease flower production
6. Practices to Attract Bees
Limit cloth fabric and plastic sheets in your bee garden as these will limit bee nesting sites. If you use heavy mulches, keep some amount of area near the bee garden in a light mulch or relatively bare ground. Many native bees nest below the ground in tunnels or cavities like abandoned rodent nests and need bare or lightly covered soil. If you see a small mound of dirt with an entrance/exit hole on top, you may have a friendly resident!
