Las Cruces Yard Guide
How to Convert a Lawn to Xeriscape in Las Cruces
Most lawn-to-xeriscape projects that go wrong in Las Cruces fail the same way: the rock goes down over Bermuda grass that isn’t dead, and a year later the grass is pushing through the gravel. Here’s the order that works, from killing the lawn to the last shovel of rock.
Updated September 2026 using University of Arizona and UC IPM extension guidance.
Quick answer
How do you convert a lawn to xeriscape?
Plan the yard, kill the grass completely, remove it, fix the grade and drainage, convert sprinklers to drip, plant, then finish with weed control and rock. Bermuda spreads by underground rhizomes, so kill it while it is actively growing, late spring through early fall, often twice.
Start a Bermuda conversion between May and September. That gives you time to kill the grass in summer and plant in fall, which is the best planting season for most desert plants here.
Typical timeline
|
Stage |
Time |
|---|---|
|
Plan and HOA approval |
1 to 3 weeks |
|
Kill the grass |
3 to 8 weeks |
|
Remove, grade, drainage |
2 to 5 days |
|
1 to 2 days |
|
|
Plants, edging, rock |
2 to 4 days |
Timeline for a typical 500 sq ft front yard. Most of the calendar time is waiting for the grass to die.
Step by step
What are the steps of a lawn-to-xeriscape conversion?
Follow eight steps in order: plan the layout, kill the grass, remove it, fix grade and drainage, convert sprinklers to drip, plant, apply pre-emergent and lay weed barrier, then spread rock. Skipping ahead is how Bermuda ends up growing through new rock a year later.
1
Plan the yard
Decide how you’ll use each area, where paths go and where shade is needed. Check HOA rules and get approval before you start.
2
Kill the grass
Treat the lawn while it’s green and growing. Wait for full brown-out, then treat any regrowth.
4
Fix the grade
Remove about 2 inches of soil so rock finishes below sidewalks, and slope everything away from the house.
5
Convert the irrigation
Cap sprinkler heads you no longer need and turn the zones into drip lines for plants.
6
Plant
Set trees, shrubs and groundcovers, grouped by how much water they need.
7
Stop the weeds
Apply pre-emergent, lay weed barrier or cut it around plants, and install steel edging.
8
Add rock
Spread 2 to 3 inches of rock over the beds, and keep it pulled back from plant stems.
Step 2 in detail
How do you kill Bermuda grass before adding rock?
Kill Bermuda while it is actively growing so the treatment reaches rhizomes that can sit 1 to 6 inches deep. Use a labeled herbicide, solarization or deep removal of roots, and expect a second treatment for regrowth. Any rhizome left alive can push up through new rock.
|
Method |
How it works |
Best time |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Herbicide (glyphosate) |
Water and feed the lawn for 2 weeks, then spray green, growing grass |
Late spring to fall, when it’s above 80°F |
Browns in about 2 weeks; repeat on regrowth. Follow the label. |
|
Solarization |
Mow short, water deeply, cover with clear plastic sealed at the edges |
June to August |
Leave it on 4 to 6 weeks in full sun. Doesn’t work in shade. |
|
Dig or sod cutter |
Cut the sod out and sift out rhizomes |
Any time |
Leftover rhizomes regrow. Best combined with a follow-up treatment. |
|
Cardboard or mulch only |
Smother the lawn |
Not recommended |
Bermuda grows through and around it. |
Herbicide timing from University of Arizona Extension AZ1371, Converting Turf to a Xeriscape Landscape. Rhizome depth and solarization guidance from UC IPM. Always read and follow the product label.
Don’t mow it short first
A scalped lawn has little leaf to absorb herbicide. Let it grow and keep watering until you treat it.
Don’t start in winter
Dormant tan Bermuda won’t take up herbicide and won’t cook under plastic. Wait for green-up in late spring.
Check for regrowth
Wait 2 to 3 weeks after it browns. Green shoots mean live rhizomes. Treat again before you go further.
Steps 4 and 5
How do you handle grading, drainage and irrigation after removing grass?
With the grass gone, slope soil away from the foundation, decide where monsoon runoff will go, often into a dry creek bed or swale, break through caliche where you’ll plant, and convert the old sprinkler zones to drip before any plants or rock go in.
Your lawn sprinklers aren’t wasted. The valves and main lines can usually be reused: cap the spray heads you don’t need and convert each zone to drip with a pressure regulator and filter. Drip puts water at the roots of each plant instead of spraying the whole area.
Related guides and services
Steps 6 to 8
When do plants, weed control and rock go in?
Plant before the rock so you aren’t digging through gravel and fabric, grouping thirsty plants together and giving cacti their own drip line. Then apply pre-emergent, lay weed barrier with overlapped seams, and spread rock two to three inches deep to finish the conversion.
Plant first
Set plants before rock goes down, so you aren’t digging through gravel and fabric. Group thirsty plants together and keep cacti and succulents on their own drip line. Fall planting gives roots a mild season to settle in.
Stop weeds before they start
The University of Arizona guide recommends a pre-emergent once the lawn is removed. Lay weed barrier with overlapped seams and cut X’s for plants, then install steel edging to hold the rock.
Finish with rock
Most beds need 2 to 3 inches of rock. Pick a size and color that match the house and keep rock a few inches back from plant stems and the foundation.
Cost
How much does a lawn-to-xeriscape conversion cost in Las Cruces?
Most Las Cruces lawn-to-xeriscape conversions run $8 to $20 per square foot installed. A typical 500 square foot front yard lands around $5,300 to $10,600, covering grass removal, grading, drip, plants, weed barrier and rock. Phasing the work can spread the cost.
|
Item |
Typical cost |
|---|---|
|
Sod removal and haul-off |
$800 to $1,600 |
|
Weed barrier and rock |
$2,400 to $4,800 |
|
Two-zone drip conversion |
$1,000 to $1,800 |
|
About 15 plants and one tree |
$500 to $1,200 |
|
Steel edging |
$600 to $1,200 |
Full price ranges are on our xeriscaping page and the Las Cruces landscaping cost guide.
DIY or hire it out?
Lawn-to-xeriscape FAQs
Ready to trade your lawn for a desert yard?
We remove the grass, convert your sprinklers to drip, plant and finish with rock, and give you a written, itemized price first.
Las Cruces Landscaping Group
1921 Santa Ines Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88011
(575) 270-0676. Mon to Sat, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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