SAWS ends recommended planting pause; up to $500 in coupons available for fall gardening

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Water System has ended its recommended planting pause, and customers can receive up to $500 in coupons for fall gardening.

Now through Oct. 15, customers can receive up to $500 in coupons for a total of four 200-square-foot areas when replacing grass with a new bed of “qualifying drought tough plants,” according to a news release.

Here’s how to do it:

Pick a 200-square-foot area of lawn to convert into a future garden bed.

Apply for the WaterSaver Landscape Coupon by Oct. 15. Each coupon is worth $125 to purchase plants from a local nursery. Coupons will be mailed out beginning in September.

Before buying new plants, prep your bed and upload a photo of the grass area you are planning to replace. After you plant, be sure to upload photos of the completed bed.

Also upload removal of sprinkler heads, valves, drip lines or other irrigation components.

“By pausing new planting until the fall, new plants will have all fall, winter and spring to establish their roots before the heat of next summer,” said Karen Guz, SAWS vice president of conservation. “The new plants will be hardy, but when freshly planted, they still need TLC in the form of hand-watering.”

Guz noted that no variances will be given to run automatic irrigation more than once a week.

“Hand-watering your new plants won’t last long, but it is necessary,” Guz said.

In the release, SAWS reminded customers to abide by Stage 3 watering restrictions. Customers can water only from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight on their assigned day. Handheld hose use is allowed at any time.

Days are assigned based on the last digit of the customer’s address:

0 or 1 – Monday

2 or 3 – Tuesday

4 or 5 – Wednesday

6 or 7 – Thursday

8 or 9 – Friday

For more details and landscape inspiration, click here. SAWS’ Garden Style website also offers a plant-by-numbers guide to help select native and water-saver plants based on preferences.