Tips for Water Efficient Landscaping

Right Plant, Right Place

Choose drought tolerant and/or native plants for your garden. Depending on your location and microclimate in Santa Clara County, your garden receives varying amounts of sun, rain, and fog. By selecting plants that are right for your specific conditions, you will conserve water and reduce the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers. For more information on choosing the right plants, visit the following links:

• Santa Clara Valley Water District Landscape Rebate Program Qualifying Plant List

• The California Native Plant Society

• Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines

• Don’t Plant a Pest!

Prevent Over-Watering

Here are some easy things that you can do to reduce your garden’s water need:

• Check your watering schedule. Make sure that you are watering before 5 AM instead of during the day when most of the moisture will evaporate.

• Schedule a Water Wise House Call and ask a surveyor to help you adjust your irrigation schedule.

• Install drip irrigation for trees, shrubs, and plants. This also promotes the growth of deep roots.

• Install and maintain a weather-based irrigation controller with a rain sensor (automatically turns the irrigation system off when it is raining) so that you do not over irrigate. You may be eligible for rebates from the Santa Clara Valley Water District for upgrading your irrigation hardware. Click here for more information.

• Water your lawn only when needed. If it is raining, your watering system should be turned off. Adjust your watering level to match the season:

  • Summer: generally water once every three days

  • Autumn: cut your watering time by half

  • Winter/Spring: completely stop watering once the rains begin

Replace Your Lawn

You may qualify for the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Landscape Rebate Program by converting qualifying high water using landscape (e.g., lawns) to qualifying low water using landscape (such as native plant gardens, permeable pavers, decomposed granite, rocks, and boulders). In order to pre-qualify, you will need to schedule a Water-Wise House Call. A qualifying pre-inspection survey is required before you can apply for the Landscape Rebate Program

For more water conservation tips and information on rebate programs, visit the Santa Clara Valley Water District at www.save20gallons.org.