Treat Your Lawn Right With This Halloween Trick on Outdoor Watering

In North Texas, wasting water is the scariest part of Halloween, so the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) is using the holiday to remind homeowners to reduce outdoor watering during the winter months.

NTMWD is asking homeowners to turn their automatic irrigation systems to manual mode beginning Halloween day and keep them off through St. Patrick’s Day.

“The holiday-themed schedule makes it easier than ever to remember when to turn off your irrigation system,” said NTMWD Public Education Manager Denise Hickey. “For residents that use an automatic irrigation system, to ensure water efficiency, homeowners should operate the irrigation controller manually — and only use the system when natural rainfall is not sufficient.”

During winter months, from November through February, lawns typically go dormant, and the grass blades will turn brown in color. Texas AgriLife Extension Service (AgriLife) agronomists who are turf, soil, and irrigation scientists recommends only operating your irrigation system to supplement what is not provided from natural rain events. NTMWD encourages the use of AgriLife’s recommended landscape practices to establish a healthy lawn and the use of WaterMyYard.org to know when to water, and when to wait.

NTMWD and AgriLife recommend the following fall landscaping tips:

  • Turn off your automatic irrigation system and use only when natural rainfall is not sufficient.
  • November through February is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. Visit the AgriLife website for a complete list of water-efficient plants that are adapted to the North Texas climate.
  • Take advantage of good weather to prepare garden beds with 4 to 6 inches of mulch to add nutrients that will help maintain soil temperature during cooler weather months.
  • Leaves are a great resource for the natural nutrients plants require. Start a compost pile or shred leaves for mulch.

Learn more ways to help us conserve.