Las Cruces Yard Guide
Las Cruces Watering Schedule Explained (2026): Days, Hours and How Long to Water
Even or odd? Tuesday or Wednesday? Before 10 or after 6? Here’s the City of Las Cruces outdoor watering schedule in plain English, how to find your days, how to set your controller to match, and how long to actually water in each season.
Updated September 2026 from Las Cruces Utilities water conservation information. Rules can change, so check with the City for the latest.
Quick answer
What are the watering days in Las Cruces?
Las Cruces Utilities customers can water outdoors three days a week by address. Even-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, odd-numbered addresses Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and nobody waters on Monday. From April through September, water only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
From April 1 to September 30, you can only water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on your days. From October through March, the same days apply.
Your watering days
|
Address ends in |
Watering days |
|---|---|
|
0, 2, 4, 6, 8 (even) |
Tue, Thu, Sat |
|
1, 3, 5, 7, 9 (odd) |
Wed, Fri, Sun |
|
Everyone |
No watering Monday |
Example: 1921 Santa Ines Dr ends in 1, so it waters Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
By season
How do the Las Cruces watering rules change by season?
From April 1 to September 30, you water on your three address days and only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. From October 1 to March 31, you still follow your three address days, and outdoor watering is never allowed on Mondays.
|
Season |
Days |
Hours |
|---|---|---|
|
April 1 to September 30 |
Your 3 address days; never Monday |
Before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. only |
|
October 1 to March 31 |
Your 3 address days; never Monday |
Follow your address days |
Source: City of Las Cruces, Water Conservation. The rules apply to outdoor watering by Las Cruces Utilities customers. Picacho Hills, parts of the East Mesa and other areas outside city limits may be on a different water provider with its own rules.
What counts as water waste
Who to call
Report water waste: the Las Cruces Utilities water conservation hotline, 575-528-4444, or Ask Las Cruces.
Variances and water-saving help: the Water Conservation Program, 575-528-3549. Variances can help when you’re establishing a new landscape.
Step by step
How do I set my irrigation controller to the Las Cruces schedule?
Set your controller to day-of-week mode and choose your three address days, not odd/even mode, which follows the calendar date instead of your address. Then set start times before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. in summer and split long run times into cycles.
1
Pick your days
Even address: Tue, Thu, Sat. Odd address: Wed, Fri, Sun. Uncheck Monday.
2
Set start times
Start at 4 or 5 a.m. so every zone finishes before 10 a.m., even in summer.
3
Stack zones
Most controllers run zones one after another. Add up the run times to make sure they fit.
5
Adjust each season
Use seasonal adjust to cut run times in spring and fall and more in winter.
How long to water
How long should you water in Las Cruces?
In summer, water Bermuda lawns on all three days in short cycles, desert shrubs on drip one to two days a week with long runs, and trees with one to two deep waterings a week. Water less in spring and fall, and only every few weeks in winter.
|
Plant and system |
Summer (Jun–Sep) |
Spring and fall |
Winter (Dec–Feb) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bermuda lawn, spray heads |
3 days a week, in cycles to avoid runoff |
1 to 2 days a week |
Every 2 to 4 weeks while dormant |
|
Desert shrubs on drip |
1 to 2 days a week, long runs |
Once a week or less |
Every 3 to 4 weeks |
|
Trees on drip or bubblers |
1 to 2 deep waterings a week |
Every 1 to 2 weeks |
Monthly on dry, mild days |
|
New plantings (first summer) |
Up to 3 days a week |
2 days a week |
Every 2 weeks |
General guidance for established plants in the Las Cruces area. Sandy East Mesa soil dries faster than silty valley soil in Mesilla and Doña Ana. Adjust for your soil and check moisture with a screwdriver or probe.
Tip
Cycle and soak for sprinklers
If water runs into the street before the lawn is soaked, split the run into two or three shorter cycles an hour apart. The lawn gets the same water with no runoff, and runoff counts as water waste.
Myth vs. fact
“Desert plants don’t need water in winter.”
Fact: dry winter wind dries out roots. A deep watering every few weeks on your days, on a mild day, keeps shrubs and trees healthy until spring.
Drip vs. spray
Why does drip irrigation make the watering schedule easier?
Drip loses far less water to wind and evaporation than spray heads, can run long on your three days without runoff, and lets trees, shrubs and lawn sit on separate zones. That makes it easier to give each plant enough water inside the City’s schedule.
Low-water shrubs on drip are easy to keep healthy on a three-day schedule.
Troubleshooting
What watering problems are common in Las Cruces?
Common problems are water running down the gutter from long run times or broken heads, brown lawn spots from uneven coverage, shrubs dying from shallow watering, and controllers set to odd/even mode. Cycle-and-soak programs, head repairs and drip fix most of them.
|
Problem |
Likely cause |
Fix |
|---|---|---|
|
Water running down the gutter |
Run time too long, broken head or clay soil |
Cycle and soak, repair heads |
|
Brown spots in the lawn |
Uneven coverage or clogged nozzles |
Adjust or replace heads, check pressure |
|
Shrubs dying on drip |
Clogged or missing emitters |
Flush lines, replace emitters |
|
Controller running on Monday |
Odd/even mode or old program |
Switch to day-of-week mode |
|
Wet spot that never dries |
Underground leak or stuck valve |
Leak check and valve repair |
Free tool
Las Cruces watering day lookup
Enter your address number to see your outdoor watering days and hours under City of Las Cruces rules.
Your result
Your watering days and today’s hours will show here.
Las Cruces watering schedule FAQs
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