I missed a week once and ended up facing a yard that looked as if it was inhabited by Foliage People from Another Planet. The watering requirements are another disadvantage here in the Los Angeles desert. In Ottawa, regular summer showers and sky-high humidity meant I rarely watered only during prolonged dry spells or when I d just planted something. Here, however, it rains zero days between May and February, so regular watering is a must. Also, it s been a bit dicey figuring out the optimal watering regime.
Some folks here prefer to water everything briefly every day or so.
Others advocate a water more, less often approach. All I know is that I haven t yet found the perfect balance to accommodate every item in my garden. At any given moment, some plants are desiccating while others are drowning. Different climate, different pests. Here we battle mammoth snails, bizarre beetles and aptly named fire ants all of which scoff at my arsenal of eco-friendly weapons.