Fall is the perfect season to improve your yard

As daytime temperatures start to fall and evenings get cooler, it's a good time to open windows and enjoy more outdoor moments. This season also offers an opportunity to evaluate how your yard handled the record-breaking summer heat and to prepare it for the months ahead. Fall is ideal for planning, organizing, and planting a landscape that is both attractive and water-efficient. However, before you start planning and planting, the first step is to review your current water use in your landscape.

Inspect and Adjust Your Irrigation

Water is a valuable resource, especially here in the desert, so being mindful of water use is a year-round responsibility. As temperatures drop, now is a good time to evaluate your yard's water efficiency.

• The fall weather is perfect for an irrigation check-up. Turning on your irrigation system and walking around your yard to find and fix leaks is as simple as that. AMWUA’s Smart Home Water Guide  can help. 
• Seasonal adjustment of irrigation schedules is one of the easiest and most effective ways to avoid wasting water. You should adjust your irrigation at least four times a year. Learn more about properly watering your new plants and adjusting your watering schedule  for fall and in preparation for winter.

Start with a Solid Plan

A thriving yard doesn’t happen by chance; it starts with a well-thought-out plan . As you create your landscape, consider:

• The look and style you want to achieve
• How you’ll use your outdoor space
• How much time you want to spend maintaining it
• Your budget

Building a plan around your needs and preferences ensures every choice, from plants to irrigation, supports the kind of yard you’ll genuinely enjoy.

Choose the Right Plants

The desert offers many options for low-water-use, drought-tolerant plants. The challenge is choosing the right ones and placing them properly. That’s where the Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert book comes in. It helps you select the best plants for your yard. This searchable website  makes it easy to find suitable shrubs and trees. 

A new, updated printed version of the Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert book was released last year and is also available to help residents save water and money by incorporating desert-appropriate, drought-tolerant plants. Contact your local water conservation office  for a free copy of the updated book. You can also download a full digital version at www.amwua.org/plants . 

Why plant in the fall?
The fall planting season is a perfect time to update your landscape with more water-efficient plants or replace those damaged by the summer’s extreme heat. Starting in late September and running through early December is an excellent time to change your yard for many reasons:

• Soil temperatures are still warm, which encourages root growth and development.
• Plants have time to become properly established in their new surroundings before facing the desert heat in the summer.
• Plants require less water in cooler temperatures and without the relentless summer sun.

Help is available

All ten AMWUA communities employ professional conservation staff committed to helping residents and businesses use water efficiently. You can virtually visit your local water conservation office  for more information. Additional resources that are also available include:

• Free classes: The cities work diligently to ensure they offer a wide range of courses and workshops on various topics, allowing you to learn new skills for planning, planting, and caring for your plants.
• Available Rebates and Incentives: Each municipality offers unique water conservation rebates and incentives to help residents and businesses conserve water and save money, both indoors and outdoors. Visit the rebates section  for the latest information, including how to apply for the rebate programs available in your city.

A thoughtfully designed, properly planted, and water-efficient landscape can save you time, water, and money, while helping you create the outdoor space you want. Remember, it's important to be mindful of our outdoor water use all year round, and fall is a great time to update or improve how you use water around your home.

For 56 years, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association has helped protect our member cities' ability to provide their communities with assured, safe, and sustainable water supplies. For more information, visit www.amwua.org .