Surviving Stage 2 Water Restrictions: Keeping Your Landscape Alive in Texas Heat

With Pantego's Stage 2 water restrictions now in effect through mid-September, many homeowners are wondering how to keep their lawns and landscapes healthy with just one watering day per week. As challenging as this sounds, it's absolutely possible to maintain a thriving landscape during these restrictions with the right strategies.

The Bottom Line: Deep, Infrequent Watering is Key

The secret to success during water restrictions is completely changing how you think about watering. Instead of light, frequent watering, you'll need to water deeply and thoroughly on your designated day to encourage deep root growth and maximize water retention.

Maximize Your One Watering Day

Water Early and Long

Start watering as early as possible on your designated day (Saturday for even addresses, Sunday for odd addresses, Wednesday for businesses). Begin at dawn or even earlier if your system allows. This gives you maximum time before the 10am cutoff and reduces evaporation loss.

Apply 1-2 Inches of Water

Your goal is to apply enough water to penetrate 6-8 inches into the soil. Place empty tuna cans around your yard to measure - you want 1-2 inches of water in each can. This typically means running sprinklers for 45-90 minutes per zone, depending on your system's output.

Use the Cycle and Soak Method

Rather than running each zone continuously, try running each zone for 15-20 minutes, then cycling through all zones again. This prevents runoff and allows water to soak in gradually, especially important for clay soils common in North Texas.

Prepare Your Landscape for Success

Mulch is Your Best Friend

Apply 2-3 inches of organic mulch around trees, shrubs, and flower beds. Mulch can reduce water evaporation by up to 70% and keep soil temperatures cooler. Wood chips, shredded hardwood, or compost work excellently.

Adjust Your Mowing Height

Raise your mower blade to leave grass 3-4 inches tall. Taller grass shades the soil, reduces evaporation, and develops deeper roots. Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade length when mowing.

Reduce Lawn Stress

• Stay off the grass as much as possible during hot periods

• Avoid fertilizing during restrictions (it increases water demand)

• Don't edge or do major landscape work that disturbs roots

• Keep pets off stressed areas when possible

Strategic Plant Care

Prioritize Your Investments

Focus your limited water on your most valuable plants. Newly planted items (less than 2 years old) need priority, followed by high-value mature trees and shrubs. Established St. Augustine and Bermuda grass are surprisingly drought-tolerant once their roots go deep.

Hand Water High-Priority Areas

Use the foundation watering exception strategically. You can hand-water any day using a hose within 24 inches of your foundation. Consider moving container plants closer to your house temporarily to take advantage of this exception.

Supplement with Gray Water

Collect water from dehumidifiers, air conditioners, or capture the cold water that runs before your shower heats up. Use this for container plants and high-priority areas.

Soil Preparation Makes All the Difference

Improve Water Retention

If possible, add organic matter like compost to planting beds. Even a thin layer worked into the top few inches can dramatically improve water retention. Consider this investment for after restrictions lift.

Check for Compaction

Compacted soil sheds water rather than absorbing it. If water runs off quickly during your watering day, your soil may be compacted. Aerate after restrictions end.

What to Expect and When to Worry

Normal Stress Responses

• Grass going dormant (browning) is normal and temporary

• Some leaf drop on trees and shrubs is expected

• Plants may wilt during the hottest parts of the day but recover by evening

Signs You Need to Adjust

• Grass pulls up easily (roots are dying, not just dormant)

• Tree leaves are turning brown and crispy at the edges

• New plantings are consistently wilted even in morning hours

Planning for After Restrictions

Recovery Strategy

Once restrictions lift, resist the urge to immediately return to daily watering. Your plants will have developed better drought tolerance. Gradually increase watering frequency while maintaining the deep watering principles you've learned.

Long-term Improvements

Consider this an opportunity to evaluate your landscape's water efficiency. Native Texas plants, improved soil, and efficient irrigation systems will make future restrictions much easier to manage.

Remember: This is Temporary

The Town of Pantego expects these restrictions to last no more than five weeks. Your landscape is more resilient than you might think. Many Texas plants are adapted to periodic drought, and established lawns often recover remarkably well once normal watering resumes.

By watering deeply on your designated day, protecting your soil with mulch, and reducing plant stress where possible, you can maintain a healthy landscape through these temporary restrictions. Your grass may not be golf-course green, but it will survive and thrive again once the well is repaired and restrictions are lifted.

Need Professional Help During Water Restrictions?

Navigating water restrictions while keeping your landscape healthy can be challenging. Handsome Lawn Service specializes in drought-resistant landscaping solutions and water-efficient maintenance practices perfect for North Texas conditions.

We can help you:

• Install efficient irrigation systems that maximize your one watering day

• Apply professional-grade mulch to reduce water evaporation

• Adjust mowing heights and schedules for optimal drought tolerance

• Design drought-resistant landscape features using native Texas plants

• Implement soil improvements to increase water retention

• Develop a customized watering strategy for your specific property

Our team understands the unique challenges of maintaining beautiful landscapes during Texas water restrictions and can help you not just survive these temporary measures, but emerge with a more resilient, water-efficient landscape.

Contact Handsome Lawn Service today for a consultation on making your landscape more drought-resistant and restriction-ready.

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For updates on water restrictions and more landscape tips, visit townofpantego.com/lawn and consider signing up for CodeRED alerts by texting PantegoAlert to 99411.