• Stay informed on ways to best manage your outdoor water use. It is entirely possible to maintain a lush, green lawn and beautiful flowering plants while saving water at the same time. Just follow these water-efficient guidelines and you can not only look forward to a pretty landscape, but a lower utility bill as well!

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• Those of us with automated irrigation systems can program them to water only on the designated days for their city zone, and regularly check all sprinkler heads to ensure they are in working order and not pointed at the sidewalk or street. Of course, an in-ground drip irrigation system saves the most water, but those without irrigation systems can save water by manually watering the yard using a handheld shutoff nozzle attached to the hose. If this is not feasible, then the best alternative would be to use a hose with an impact sprinkler attached. These usually are attached to a stake that you drive into the ground and have an adjustable spray zone. Another good option are the tractor-type sprinklers that travel along a path via water pressure and stop when they reach a specially designed ramp that you simply thread onto the hose. Always look for sprinklers that emit big drops close to the ground rather than “misting” sprinklers, which lose a great quantity of water to evaporation, or the oscillating fan type, which spray so high in the air that evaporation loss is prevalent.

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• Most lawns do not require daily watering. Daily watering can cause the soil to become too saturated, creating potentials for water loss due to evaporation and runoff. Another damaging side effect of watering too often is that this process promotes shallow root systems, which will need more water to survive. It’s actually better on the lawn to water slowly and deeply once a week than to run the sprinkler for fifteen minutes every day. A lawn with deep roots will be able to get more water during a drought since the roots grow deeper into the ground, where the soil is moister. Shallow root systems do not hold down the soil very well and lead to greater rates of erosion. They also tend to need more fertilization to keep the grass alive and growing, which can be costly.

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• A garden hose without a shutoff nozzle can pour out 530 gallons of water in an hour. If you use a garden hose to water your garden or lawn, a quick and inexpensive fix would be to purchase a shutoff nozzle and use this at all times when you have the attached faucet turned on.

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• Composting improves the structure, texture and aeration of the soil enabling your plants to develop stronger, deeper roots. Compost provides plants with vital nutrients by improving microbial activity that helps release soil nutrients for plants. Compost is natural and reduces or sometimes even eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers that can be costly and potentially damaging to the environment. Using compost can reduce the need for watering your garden. The City of McAllen offers mulch, compost and potting mix for sale. These materials are made from 85% of McAllen resident’s yard trimmings instead of being sent to a landfill.

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• If you do not already use mulch in your garden beds and around trees, consider doing so. Mulching your flower beds with about 1.5 inches of mulch will help conserve water by trapping moisture and preventing some evaporation during the heat of the day. Trees require a thicker layer of mulch at approximately 3 to 4 inches. Be sure to evenly distribute the mulch around a tree with a rake or by hand, as mulch mounded high around the trunk can make the tree more susceptible to disease or decay. Another benefit of mulching is that the groundcover creates a barrier against sunlight, discouraging weed growth,

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• If you are worried about pests, there are now mulches available made out of recycled materials such as rubber or plastic composites, both of which will still keep the topsoil from drying out so quickly without becoming a haven for termites and other undesirable insects. Another option quickly becoming more available is recycled glass “mulch,” which not only functions like traditional mulch but has the added benefit of being aesthetically pleasing.

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• Gravel and rocks are other options for covering wide expanses of soil and act as moisture barriers and prevent topsoil from eroding due to wind and water. Any gravel or rock cover should be applied 2 to 3 inches deep. Also keep in mind that rock-based covers will trap and retain heat, so plants with a tendency to wilt in higher temperatures should not be surrounded by this type of ground cover.