For more helpful tips to maintain a healthy yard while saving resources, download our Guide to Yard Care.

Avoid Over-Watering Your Lawn

Watering too heavily or too often weakens your lawn and causes erosion and runoff pollution. A general rule is to water up to one inch, once a week, when needed, but always comply with your water system’s restrictions. Shrubs, trees, and other perennials generally need less because of their deeper root structure.

Water Wisely

Avoid watering in the middle of the day. Watering in the morning allows for the water to be absorbed before evaporating in midday heat. If using sprinklers, use larger drops close to the ground. The water in misters can evaporate quickly. When watering, always comply with your water system’s restrictions.

Collect and Use Rainwater

Lawn and garden watering makes up 30 to 50% of total household water use. Collecting rainwater for landscape use not only is great for the plants, but can save you water and money. By collecting rainwater from just 10% of the residential roof area in Texas, we could conserve over 32 billion gallons of water annually. Check out the video Building a Rain Barrel. Download Rainwater Harvesting with Rain Barrels or the Rainwater Harvesting Manual.

Update Your Sprinkler System’s Controller

Billions of gallons of water are wasted every day from inefficient landscape watering. Replacing a standard clock timer with newer irrigation-control technology can save an average home nearly 7,600 gallons of water annually. New, more efficient controllers act like a thermostat for your sprinkler system telling it when to turn on and off. They use local weather and landscape conditions to tailor watering schedules to actual conditions on the site, better matching your yard’s water needs.

Try Composting

Leaves, grass clippings, and other yard debris make up 6.2% of the trash sent to landfills each year, and it costs Texans over $250 million a year to collect and dispose of that waste. Instead of throwing them out with the garbage, try recycling yard materials by composting them. Compost can serve as a soil conditioner that nourishes your yard and reduces the need for watering up to 60%. Check out the video How to Start Composting in Your Own Backyard. Download the Take Care of Texas Mulching and Composting Guide.

Use What Nature Gave You

To save money and reduce harmful chemicals, use natural alternatives to help grow your plants. Mulch is a chemical-free protective ground covering that includes straw, leaves, bark, wood chips, and pine needles. It reduces evaporation, prevents erosion, controls weeds, and enriches soil.

Mow Your Grass Higher

How you cut your lawn matters. Set your lawn-mower blades one notch higher. That keeps the grass blade longer which provides shade to the roots, prevents greater evaporation, and inhibits weed growth. Also keep your mower blades sharp. Lawns cut with dull blades lose moisture faster and are more subject to disease.

Leave Grass Clippings on the Lawn

Allow grass clippings to remain on the yard after mowing. They can act as a slow-release fertilizer to your lawn by recycling nutrients back into the grass and improving the top soil. This reduces the need for fertilizer—good for your wallet and the environment.

Use Native Texas Plants

Plants that are native to Texas help conserve water and protect the soil, and require less pesticide, fertilizer, and maintenance—all saving you time and money. The deep root systems of many native plants also increase the soil’s capacity to store water and reduce runoff. In addition, native plants attract a variety of birds and butterflies by providing habitat and food. Explore the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Native Plant Database to see which plants are best for your region.

Plant Shade Trees

Plant deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your house and around your air conditioner. Because deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter they allow the sun to shine through windows to warm your home. They also keep your home shady and cool in the summer. Summer air temperatures in tree-shaded neighborhoods can be up to six degrees cooler than in treeless areas. Carefully positioned trees can save a household up to 25% in heating and cooling costs. Get helpful information from Texas A&M Forest Service's online Tree Planting Guide. Annual Savings: $180

Use Less Pesticides and Fertilizers

More is not always better when fertilizing your yard. Excessive watering or a rainstorm can wash away the chemical excess—wasting your money and endangering nearby waterways. Misapplication of fertilizer poses a significant threat to surface and groundwaters. To minimize environmental impact, apply pesticides and fertilizers according to the label’s directions, and only use the recommended amount. Download our Managing 10 Common Texas Yard Pests Guide.