Living in San Diego offers a dream lifestyle with its mild, sunny weather, but our fall season presents unique landscaping opportunities and challenges. Unlike regions with harsh winters, our “second spring” is a prime time for planting and preparing our gardens for the year ahead. This guide to San Diego fall yard care provides everything you need to know to create a resilient, beautiful outdoor space that aligns with our local climate and water conservation goals.
What Makes Fall a “Second Spring” in San Diego?
Fall is arguably the most important season for seasonal yard maintenance in San Diego. The intense summer heat has passed, but the soil remains warm, creating ideal conditions for plant roots to establish themselves. The cooler air and potential for early rain reduce stress on new plants and turf, while the decreased evaporation rates mean water works more efficiently. Embracing this season means setting up your garden for a vibrant display through winter and a spectacular burst of color in spring.
Your Essential Fall Yard Maintenance Checklist
A sustainable landscape requires a strategic plan for San Diego fall yard care. Follow these core principles to maximize the health and beauty of your yard.
Rake Leaves and Manage Debris
While San Diego’s fall might not bring a deluge of leaves, regular cleanup is still essential for your fall clean-up routine. A thick layer of leaves can smother your grass, block sunlight, and promote fungal diseases. Furthermore, in our fire-prone region, removing dry leaves and other dead plant material is a key part of firescaping. Consider shredding or mowing over dry leaves to create a nutrient-rich mulch for your garden beds. For larger properties, professional debris removal services can be a great help.
Adjust Your Mowing and Watering
As temperatures drop, your lawn’s growth will slow down, a key shift in San Diego lawn care.
- Keep Mowing: Continue to mow until growth stops completely. For the common warm-season grasses in San Diego, like Bermuda or Zoysia, a final height of about 2 to 2.5 inches is ideal as they go dormant for the winter.
- Adapt Watering with Irrigation Adjustment: This is the time to significantly reduce irrigation. The City of San Diego’s mandatory water restrictions remain in effect year-round. With cooler weather, overwatering is a common mistake. Let fall rains contribute to your watering schedule and adjust your irrigation timer accordingly. This simple irrigation adjustment is one of the easiest ways to conserve water.
Aerate Your Lawn
Fall is the perfect time to aerate your lawn. Our local clay-heavy soil compacts easily, which prevents water, nutrients, and oxygen from reaching the grass roots. Aeration involves pulling small plugs of soil from the ground, relieving this compaction. This process helps water from our seasonal rains penetrate deeper, reducing runoff and promoting stronger, deeper root systems—a core principle of effective San Diego lawn care.
Fertilize for Future Health
Applying a slow-release fertilizer in the fall feeds the roots without spurring excessive top growth. This gives your lawn and perennial plants the nutrients they need to survive the cooler months and bounce back green and lush in spring. For a more sustainable approach, consider top-dressing your lawn with compost, which improves soil health and provides natural, slow-release nutrients.
Prune and Trim for Safety and Shape
- Pruning & trimming in San Diego is less about preventing snow damage and more about encouraging healthy growth and maintaining safety.
- Prune Dead Material: Remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches from trees and shrubs to prevent them from falling and to improve plant health.
- Shape Overgrown Shrubs: Light pruning & trimming can help maintain a neat shape.
- A Critical Safety Note: When trimming drought-tolerant plants like succulents and cacti, beware of toxic sap. Plants like Fire Sticks (Euphorbia tirucalli) contain a milky sap that can cause severe skin and eye irritation. Always wear long sleeves, gloves, and eye protection.
Planting for a Water-Wise Landscape
This is where our “second spring” truly shines. Fall is the absolute best time to invest in water-wise landscaping.
- Spring-Blooming Bulbs: To achieve brilliant spring color with bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, they must be planted in the fall. In Southern California, many bulbs, especially tulips, require a pre-chilling period of 6-8 weeks in the refrigerator before planting.
- Drought-Tolerant Plants: Fall is the ideal season to install California native and other drought-tolerant plants. The moderate weather gives their roots time to establish deeply before the next summer’s heat, making them incredibly resilient. This is a cornerstone of water-wise landscaping and a key San Diego landscaping tip.
Mulch Garden Beds
Applying a 2 to 4-inch layer of mulch to your garden beds in the fall is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your garden. Mulch acts as an insulating blanket, regulating soil temperature, retaining precious soil moisture, and suppressing weeds. Organic mulches like wood chips or compost are excellent choices.
Maintain and Winterize Tools
As the busy growing season winds down, take an afternoon to care for your tools. Clean and sharpen blades to prevent rust and ensure clean cuts. Drain and store hoses coiled neatly to prevent damage.
Beyond the Basics: Advanced San Diego Landscaping Tips
- Consider Lawn Alternatives: If you’re tired of maintaining a thirsty lawn, fall is a great time to convert to a low-water turf alternative. Ground covers like Kurapia or drought-tolerant grasses can provide a green space while slashing your water bill—a top San Diego landscaping tip for the modern homeowner.
- Plan for Rain: Install a rain barrel to capture rainwater from your downspouts. This free water is perfect for your garden and can be a lifesaver during dry spells.
- Get a Free Water Use Survey: Take advantage of the San Diego County Water Authority’s offer for a free Water Use Survey. A certified irrigation professional will provide site-specific water-saving recommendations for your landscape.
Your lush, water-smart garden awaits. By embracing this checklist for San Diego fall yard care, you are investing in your home’s beauty, your wallet, and our regional environment.
References
- City of San Diego. (2023). Water Saving Tips. Public Utilities Department. Retrieved from https://www.sandiego.gov/public-utilities/sustainability/water-conservation/tips
- University of California Master Gardener Program of San Diego County. (n.d.). Lawn Replacement. Retrieved from https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-san-diego-county/landscape-design/lawn-replacement
- Drab to Fab. (2023). Low-Maintenance Landscaping: The Ultimate Guide for Busy San Diego Homeowners. Retrieved from https://www.drabtofab.com/low-maintenance-landscaping-the-ultimate-guide-for-busy-san-diego-homeowners
- Evergreen Seeds. (2024, March 5). When to Plant Bulbs in Southern California: Optimal Timing for Lush Gardens. Retrieved from https://www.evergreenseeds.com/when-to-plant-bulbs-in-southern-california-3/
- San Diego County Water Authority. (2023). WaterSmart Resources. Retrieved from https://www.sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation/resources/
- McGrath, V. (UCCE Master Gardener of San Diego County). (n.d.). Low Water Turf Alternatives for Our Climate. Retrieved from https://www.mastergardenersd.org/low-water-turf-alternatives-for-our-climate/
- Earth View Landscape Team. (2025, February 26). San Diego Landscape Trends for 2025: Outdoor Design You’ll Love. Retrieved from https://www.earthviewlandscape.com/san-diego-landscape-trends-2025
- Earth View Landscape Team. (2025, September 24). Rainwater Harvesting in San Diego | Smart Water-Saving Solutions for Your San Diego Landscape. Retrieved from https://www.earthviewlandscape.com/rainwater-harvesting-san-diego
- Murphy, F. (UC Master Gardener). (n.d.). Drought-tolerant plants can save water, but beware of those that are toxic [Blog post]. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Retrieved from https://ucanr.edu/blog/green-blog/article/drought-tolerant-plants-can-save-water-beware-those-are-toxic
- Torrey Pines Landscape Company. (2025). Landscaping Tips – San Diego. Retrieved from https://www.tplandscape.com/landscaping-tips/
