Plano's water consumption rises a whopping 60% during the spring and summer months compared to the Fall and Winter months.  Much of that water goes to thirsty lawns. Find out how you can cut your summertime water bill and still have a beautiful Texas landscape. Additional resources can be found at the bottom of this page.

 Start With a Plan
Creating a water-efficient landscape begins with a well-thought-out landscape design. Sketch your yard with locations of existing structures, trees, shrubs and grass areas. Then consider the landscape budget, appearance, function, maintenance and water requirements. Local landscape specialists can help assist you when planning your outdoor space. Implementing your landscape design can be done gradually over several years.

 Soil Analysis and Preparation
To increase plant health and conserve water, add organic matter (such as compost) to the soil of shrub and flower bed areas. This increases the soil’s ability to absorb and store water in a form available to the plant. As a rule-of-thumb, till in 4 to 6 inches of compost or organic material such as shredded pine bark, peat and rice hulls. For trees, however, incorporating organic matter is not necessary. Turfgrass can benefit from 1/4 inch of topdressing (finely screened compost) per year. Soil testing is offered by some local nurseries and the local Texas Agrilife extension office.

 Plant Selection
Select trees, shrubs and groundcovers based on their adaptability to your region’s soil and climate. Texas is blessed with an abundance of beautiful native plants which are naturally adapted to the region. Most have lower water demands, fewer pest problems and less fertilizer needs than many nonadapted, exotic plants brought into Texas landscapes. Native Texas plants are becoming more available in retail nurseries and garden centers. Combining Texas natives with well-adapted non-native plants is the key to a beautiful, interesting landscape that conserves water.

 Lawn Areas
Grasses available for use in Texas vary significantly in water requirements. Planting the lowest water use turfgrass adapted to the region is an effective way to reduce landscape irrigation requirements. Achieving a significant reduction in water consumption and landscape maintenance may also involve reducing the size of turf areas. When designing, or evaluating turfgrass areas in the landscape, consider the ease or difficulty in watering the proposed area. Long, narrow or small odd-shaped areas are difficult for any irrigation equipment to efficiently water. Most lawns receive twice as much water as they require for a healthy appearance. The key is to apply water using the cycle soak method (see next paragraph). This creates a deep, well-rooted lawn that efficiently uses water stored in the soil and is protected from the hot summer heat.

 Cycle Soak Method
This method of irrigation applies water slowly so the soil can actually absorb all that is applied. Instead of running each sprinkler zone for 20 minutes each, try 4 cycles of 5 minutes each instead of one 20 minute cycle. Schedule the run times about one hour apart until the soil is moistened to a depth of 6-8 inches. Be sure to watch each zone for excessive runoff. Depending on the slope of the yard, this could vary some from zone to zone. Each landscape owner will have to test their zone run times to see when the water begins to run off.  Most irrigation controllers can be programmed to automatically run the cycle soak method.

Click Here for a demonstration of the cycle soak method.

 Example of Cycle Soak Schedule 
Twice Per Week - 3 Days Apart
(April - September)

Cycle Soak Watering Schedule - Day 1

Start Times For Each Zone

Three days later…

Cycle Soak Watering Schedule - Day 2

Start Times For Each Zone

If you have more than 6 zones, just continue the start times every 5 minutes

making sure you leave at least one hour between start times for each zone.

 Successfully Watered Lawn
About an hour after watering, push a soil probe (or a very long screwdriver) into the soil. It will slide easily through wet soil but will be impossible to push through dry clay. The landscape has been successfully watered when the probe easily slides to a depth of 6 – 8 inches. The plant's root system will reach for this deep moisture and will be well protected from the summer heat. By using this method, irrigation should not be necessary again for at least 3-5 days, depending on weather conditions.

 Watering
Of the tremendous amounts of water applied to lawns and gardens, much of it is never absorbed by the plants. Some water is lost to runoff because it is applied too rapidly, and some water evaporates from exposed, unmulched soil; but, the greatest waste of water is applying too much too often. In addition to overwatering the plant, excess irrigation can leach nutrients deep into the soil away from plant roots, increasing the chances of polluting groundwater. Similarly, runoff caused by excess irrigation can carry polluting fertilizers and pesticides to streams and lakes. The waste or pollution of high quality water through inefficient irrigation practices can be eliminated through proper watering techniques.

 Trees and Shrubs
New trees and shrubs will initially need more frequent watering until they become well rooted, which may take two growing seasons. Once established, plants can then be weaned to tolerate less frequent watering. Proper weaning develops deep roots and makes the plants more drought tolerant. Water established trees, shrubs and groundcovers infrequently, yet thoroughly. In the absence of rain, most trees and shrubs benefit from a once-a-month thorough watering during the growing season. Normal lawn watering is not a substitute for tree and shrub watering. The feeding root system of a tree or shrub is located within the top 12 inches of the soil and at the dripline of the plant. The dripline is the area directly below the outermost reaches of the branches. Apply water and fertilizer just inside and a little beyond the dripline, not at the trunk. Simply lay a slowly running hose on the ground and move it around the dripline as each area becomes saturated to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. For large trees, this watering technique may take several hours.

 Irrigation Systems
By zoning an irrigation system properly, grass areas can be watered separately and more frequently than groundcovers, shrubs and trees. An automatic sprinkler system can be more efficient if properly designed and installed, but will always require some maintenance. Make sure the sprinkler heads are adjusted properly to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways. Also, a properly adjusted sprinkler head sprays large droplets of water instead of a fine mist which is more susceptible to evaporation and wind drift. With either hose-end sprinklers or permanent systems, water between late evening and mid-morning to avoid excessive waste through evaporation.  Installing a rain and freeze sensor will automatically delay your irrigation until the weather event has passed.

Note: The Texas State Legislature has mandated new guidelines that anyone installing or repairing a sprinkler system (other than the owner) must be licensed by the State of Texas.

 Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation offers increased watering efficiency and plant performance when compared to sprinkler irrigation. Drip irrigation slowly applies water to soil. The water flows under low pressure through emitters, bubblers or very low spray heads. Water applied by drip irrigation has little chance of waste through evaporation or runoff. Seeking professional irrigation advice and experimenting with available drip irrigation products in small sections of the landscape are the best ways to become familiar with the many benefits of this watering technique.

 Other outdoor water conservation tips

1. If you have a swimming pool, check it for leaks. A pool cover will save up to 90% of the water lost due to evaporation.

2. When you wash your car, use a commercial car wash that recycles the water.

Other Resources: 

Texas Smartscape

Landscape Watering Guide

Programming Your Irrigation Controller
 
Protect Your Home's Foundation From Heat

Texas A&M Horticulture

Texas A&M Turfgrass Program