Planting in Late Summer - A Break Though Study

Santa Rosa, CA - A recent study done by DriWater Inc. Santa Rosa, CA, determined the benefits of planting native plants at different times during the late summer and early fall. The theory was to plant the native species in late summer to allow the plants to push roots before the winter began. This would provide two benefits in native plant establishment.  First, planting in August enables the plant to push more root development before winter rains.  The increased root development allows for better water and nutrient uptake the following spring and summer.  Second, broadening the planting season resolves project delay due to rains in early winter.  DriWater Inc.'s time-released water gel (DRiWATER® Plus™) with enriched nutrients was used to deliver water to these plants over a 90 day period from August to November in 2009.  Giving plants 90-days of consistent moisture with DRiWATER® Plus™ plants were able to establish 69% greater root volume over plantings that were hand watered. Controls of the same species were hand-watered 2.5 gallons on a weekly regime. The test concluded that DRiWATER® Plus™ delivered better results than hand watering. Planting in late summer/early fall produced excellent root mass growth and survival for these plants. DRiWATER® Plus™  consists of 98% purified water and 2% food grade ingredients. It is bound in the form of a gel-like solid that provides consistent subsurface irrigation to plants up to three months!  DRiWATER® Plus™ is natural and completely non-toxic. There is more good news and added benefit to this study and that is water-savings. For every 1-Quart of DRiWATER® Plus™ used 130-Quarts of water was saved! A large part of the study was to see if by planting in August the roots would be established well enough, not only to carry the plant through winter, but also through the following growing season with only a single application of  DRiWATER® Plus™. This conserves water and reduces labor costs for watering. DriWater, Inc. has developed the commercial and retail markets for DRiWATER in the United States, and is working in more than 30 countries around the world.  DRiWATER used as a plant irrigation alternative helps turn deserts into forests, enables food to be grown where it was not previously possible, and helps to combat global warming while conserving one of Earth’s most precious resources—water.