Water-Wise Outdoors
Outdoor Watering Guide
Homes with pools and yards can use as much as 70 percent of their water outdoors. Use this month-by-month guide to water shrubs, trees and grass only as much as they need.
01 — Watering This Month
How much to water in January
Pick a month to see the recommended schedule. The current month is selected automatically.
3min/day · spray
7min/day · rotor
5 days/wk*
02 — Year-Round Schedule
Month-by-month schedule
Shrub and tree amounts are gallons per plant per day, applied on the listed number of days each week. Turf times are minutes per watering day for spray or rotor sprinkler systems.
| Month | Shrubs & trees | Turf grass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-E shrubs | W-E trees | Non-desert trees | Days | Spray | Rotor | Days | |
| January | 0.7 gal/day | 14 gal/day | 45 gal/day | 2 days/wk | 3 min/day | 7 min/day | 5 days/wk* |
| February | 0.9 gal/day | 21 gal/day | 56 gal/day | 3 days/wk | 5 min/day | 13 min/day | 5 days/wk* |
| March | 0.9 gal/day | 16 gal/day | 53 gal/day | 4 days/wk | 7 min/day | 18 min/day | 5 days/wk* |
| April | 1 gal/day | 17 gal/day | 59 gal/day | 5 days/wk | 10 min/day | 22 min/day | 7 days/wk |
| May | 0.9 gal/day | 18 gal/day | 60 gal/day | 6 days/wk | 12 min/day | 27 min/day | 7 days/wk |
| June | 0.9 gal/day | 18 gal/day | 59 gal/day | 7 days/wk | 14 min/day | 30 min/day | 7 days/wk |
| July | 0.9 gal/day | 18 gal/day | 59 gal/day | 7 days/wk | 13 min/day | 30 min/day | 7 days/wk |
| August | 0.9 gal/day | 17 gal/day | 57 gal/day | 6 days/wk | 12 min/day | 27 min/day | 7 days/wk |
| September | 1 gal/day | 18 gal/day | 63 gal/day | 5 days/wk | 10 min/day | 22 min/day | 7 days/wk |
| October | 0.9 gal/day | 16 gal/day | 52 gal/day | 4 days/wk | 7 min/day | 14 min/day | 7 days/wk |
| November | 0.7 gal/day | 14 gal/day | 44 gal/day | 3 days/wk | 4 min/day | 10 min/day | 7 days/wk |
| December | 0.7 gal/day | 14 gal/day | 42 gal/day | 2 days/wk | 3 min/day | 6 min/day | 5 days/wk* |
W-E = water-efficient. * Marked in the source guide; see the full CV Water Counts guide (PDF) for details.
03 — Good Habits
Water smarter, not more
- Lush, green grass isn't water-efficient. Aim for a healthy golden-green lawn instead.
- Turn off sprinklers and don't water within 48 hours of measurable rainfall.
- Adjust your irrigation controller each month as the schedule changes. Summer needs are several times higher than winter.
- Check the outdoor water budget for your property and the water-saving tips for more ideas.
Source: CV Water Counts Outdoor Watering Guide (Irrigation Guide, September 2025).
Questions?
Questions about watering your landscape?
Contact our office and we'll be glad to help.