Fall Landscaping Tips

Published on October 02, 2025

Fall Has Arrived - Landscape Tips for the Changing Season

As the hot, dry conditions of summer fade and the days get shorter, consider making adjustments to your gardens and landscapes to save water and prepare for winter.   Here are some tips and reminders:

1. Adjust irrigation timers: Shorter, cooler days and higher humidity levels provide an opportunity to dial back water used for irrigation.  Reductions in both the length of time per cycle and fewer days of irrigation will lower water costs and may prevent damage to plants caused by overwatering.  If you are seeing moss and mushrooms growing, reduce watering!  
2. Consider installing a smart irrigation timer:  There are many good varieties of irrigation controllers that track weather conditions and seasonal needs.  These typically operate by using your home’s Wi-Fi connection to access local, real-time, weather data.  These timers allow you to monitor and modify irrigation times from your smart phone, even when you are away from your home.  Check for rebates to help lower the costs of these timers. 
3. Add new plants to replace those lost during hot summer months:  The cooler weather offers an opportunity to replace plants that died during the summer.  Many landscapes may have developed bare areas during summer. Consider replanting these with robust plant varieties so the problem does not re-occur next summer.  If you have bare areas, cover them with new plants, mulch or other ground cover.    
4. Plant Natives and Waterwise Plants: Fall is the absolute best time to plant local native plants.  Planting during fall allows these plants to develop strong roots and the growth necessary to survive next year’s summer months with little applied water.  Consider changing one or more of your irrigation zones with to waterwise and native plants.  Staff at the California Botanic Garden can provide a wealth of information on local natives that will thrive with little or no irrigation once they are established.