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Smart Lawn Care & Water Conservation

Maintaining a healthy, lush lawn during hot, dry summers can be challenging—especially in regions with heavy clay soils and strict water use guidelines. But with a little planning and some smart habits, it’s possible to achieve a beautiful lawn without wasting water. Here’s how to strike the perfect balance between conservation and curb appeal.

Water Wisely, Grow Deep Roots

One of the most important steps in lawn care and water conservation is proper irrigation. A healthy lawn doesn’t need to be watered daily. In fact, watering deeply and infrequently—once or twice a week if needed—encourages grass to develop deep, drought-resistant roots. Avoid light, frequent watering, which leads to shallow root systems and makes grass more susceptible to heat and disease.

Spacing out your irrigation days also trains your lawn to rely less on artificial watering. You can even subscribe to weekly watering advice from SaveTarrantWater.com, which factors in local weather to determine if watering is necessary—keeping irrigation systems off for up to 25 weeks a year!

Time It Right

To reduce evaporation and water waste:

• Never water between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when the sun is strongest.
• Use the “cycle and soak” method: run short irrigation cycles (6–8 minutes for spray heads, 12–14 minutes for rotors), then allow time between cycles for water to soak in.
• Watering by hand-held hose, drip irrigation, or soaker hose is allowed anytime.

Follow your city’s recommended watering schedule:

• No watering on Mondays
• Tuesdays & Fridays: Non-residential properties
• Wednesdays & Saturdays: Homes with addresses ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8
• Thursdays & Sundays: Homes with addresses ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

Visit hursttx.gov/waterconservation for more resources.

Sprinkler Smarts

A misaligned or broken sprinkler can waste gallons of water and damage your lawn. Observe your sprinkler system in operation at least twice a year—once in spring, once in summer—to check for:

• Clogged or tilted heads
• Uneven coverage
• Leaks or low pressure

Don’t forget to check the backup battery in your sprinkler controller annually. A power outage could reset it to default settings, disrupting your carefully planned watering schedule.

Healthy Lawn Habits That Save Water

Your grass will thrive—and require less water—when you adopt these smart practices:

DO:

• Cut grass high and let it lie. Taller grass shades the soil, reduces evaporation, and encourages deep roots. But remember, your lawn should not be more than 8 inches in height, according to Hurst’s nuisance ordinance.
• Sharpen your mower blades. Dull blades tear grass, leaving it vulnerable to disease.
• Scout regularly for pests and diseases so problems don’t spiral out of control.
• Use compost to enrich your soil. It boosts nutrients naturally and reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers, which can pollute local waterways.

DON’T:

• Scalp your lawn. Keep grass at the proper height for its type (see chart below); shorter isn’t better!
• Apply herbicides unless necessary. Try pulling weeds by hand—especially after watering, when the soil is soft.
• Fertilize warm-season grass in winter. “Winterizing” is unnecessary and can lead to overgrowth and water waste.
• Mow just because it’s the weekend. Mow based on grass height, not your calendar.

Grass Height Guidelines

Bonus Tip: Mulch Matters

Apply mulch in flowerbeds and around trees and shrubs to retain moisture, reduce weeds, and stabilize soil temperatures. Just be sure not to pile it against plant stems or trunks.

By combining smart watering practices with good lawn care, you can create a landscape that’s both beautiful and sustainable. Being water-wise not only saves money—it also protects the environment and ensures a thriving lawn, even through the hot Texas summers.