How to Reduce Your Lawn Size in Southern California

In Southern California a big lawn is usually the thirstiest, highest-maintenance part of the yard. You can reduce or replace it in stages, smothering or removing a section of turf, swapping in low-water plants, groundcovers, and mulched beds, and switching to drip, so you cut water use while keeping the yard attractive.

Quick answer: Convert the lawn in sections, replace it with low-water plantings, and switch the irrigation to drip.

A lawn is usually the thirstiest part of a yard, and in dry climates outdoor watering can reach 60 percent of home water use.
Shrink the lawn in sections rather than tearing it all out at once.
Sheet mulch the turf with compost, cardboard, and wood chips to smother it without chemicals, or dig out the sod.
Replace the grass with low-water plants, native groundcovers, mulched beds, and permeable paths.
Convert spray sprinklers to drip and water new plantings only until they are established.
Check your local water agency for a turf-replacement rebate before you start.

Ways to reduce or replace a lawn
Approach	What it is	Best for
Sheet mulching	Layers of compost, cardboard, and wood-chip mulch that smother the grass over several months.	Converting a whole area without digging or chemicals.
Sod removal	Physically cutting and lifting out the turf along with its roots.	Gardeners who want to clear a space and plant right away.
Low-water plant beds	Drought-tolerant and California-native plantings set into mulched beds.	The biggest long-term water savings.
Groundcover or meadow	A low, spreading groundcover or native bunchgrass planting in place of turf.	Keeping a soft, green look with far less water.
Mulch and permeable paths	Wood-chip mulch with gravel or permeable paving instead of grass.	Low-use corners, side yards, and walkways.

Why Shrink a Lawn in Southern California

Turf is usually the single thirstiest, highest-maintenance feature in a yard, so reducing it saves the most water of any landscaping change you can make in a dry climate. The EPA notes that the average American family uses about 320 gallons of water a day, roughly 30 percent of it outdoors, and that in dry climates such as the Southwest a household’s outdoor use can climb to as much as 60 percent.^[1] UC Master Gardeners point out that the most common reason people remove a lawn is simply to save water, since lawns need a lot of it to stay lush and green.^[2] For the plants that do well on that saved water, start with our guide to drought-tolerant plants.

How to Remove or Shrink a Lawn

There are two main routes: smother the grass in place, or physically dig it out. The low-effort, no-chemical route is sheet mulching, which UC Master Gardeners describe as layering materials to cut off the grass’s sunlight while improving the soil as it breaks down. Their method is to mow the lawn low, spread a 2 to 3 inch layer of compost, cover it with a single overlapping layer of cardboard (tape and labels removed), and top that with a 4 to 5 inch layer of wood chips or a finer bark mulch.^[2] They suggest doing this in late autumn so winter rains speed the breakdown, and waiting about six months before planting so the cardboard has fully decomposed.^[2] If you would rather plant right away, the alternative is sod removal: cutting and lifting out the turf and its roots so you can replant the cleared ground immediately.

What to Replace the Lawn With

The best replacements use far less water than turf while still looking full and intentional. The EPA recommends low-water, regionally appropriate plants, noting that native species, once established, require little water beyond normal rainfall, rarely need fertilizer, and tend to resist pests and disease; it also suggests keeping only a small, strategically placed patch of lawn where it serves a real purpose rather than wall-to-wall grass, and grouping plants with similar water needs together.^[3] Good categories to draw from are California natives, low-water groundcovers, native bunchgrasses for a soft meadow look, mulched planting beds, and permeable gravel or paving for paths. Before you buy any specific plant, screen it against the California Invasive Plant Council inventory so you do not trade a thirsty lawn for an invasive problem.^[4] For ideas, see our picks of evergreen plants that stay green all year and our guide to groundcovers, or keep a small, tidy turf area using the ideas in our roundup of sod and creative lawn options.

Water, Mulch, and Common Mistakes

Once the planting is in, the irrigation and mulch are what lock in the water savings. Swap spray sprinklers for drip, which the EPA says delivers water straight to the root zone and uses 20 to 50 percent less water than conventional sprinklers, saving a typical home more than 25,000 gallons a year.^[5] UC Statewide IPM adds that low-volume drip also reduces weeds, soil compaction, and foliar disease compared with overhead sprinklers, which are really suited to large, uniform plantings like turf.^[6] Spread mulch about 3 to 4 inches deep over the new beds, which the EPA notes reduces evaporation, suppresses weeds, and prevents erosion on the bare soil you just exposed.^[3] The most common mistakes are leaving soil bare long enough to erode or sprout weeds, choosing an invasive replacement plant, and overwatering: new plants need regular water only until they take root, after which natives in particular get by on little beyond normal rainfall.^[3] Finally, many Southern California water agencies offer turf-replacement rebates, and because the terms change often it is worth checking your own agency or the state Save Our Water program for current offers before you start.^[7]

Thinking about trading some turf for a lower-water yard? Stop by any Green Thumb Nursery and our team can help you plan the conversion and choose drought-tolerant plants, groundcovers, and mulch suited to your space.

Lawn Reduction FAQ

How do I reduce my lawn size?

Convert it in sections. UC Master Gardeners recommend sheet mulching, layering compost, cardboard, and wood chips to smother the grass, or you can dig out the sod, then replant the cleared area with low-water plants.^[2]

What is the easiest way to get rid of a lawn?

Sheet mulching, because it needs no chemicals or heavy equipment. UC Master Gardeners cover the turf with compost, one layer of cardboard, and a 4 to 5 inch mulch cap, then wait about six months before planting.^[2]

What can I replace my lawn with in Southern California?

Low-water plantings. The EPA points to regionally appropriate and native plants, mulched beds, and strategically reduced turf, which once established need little water beyond normal rainfall.^[3]

Does removing a lawn really save water?

Yes. The EPA notes outdoor watering can reach 60 percent of home water use in dry climates, and switching the new plantings to drip uses 20 to 50 percent less water than sprinklers.^[1]^[5]

Are there rebates for removing your lawn?

Often, yes. The State of California notes that local water agencies may pay you to replace turf with water-friendly landscaping, and points residents to the Save Our Water tool to find current local programs.^[7]

Sources

[1] EPA WaterSense, Outdoor Water Use in the United States (archived): 19january2017snapshot.epa.gov
[2] UC Master Gardeners of Placer County, How to Kill Your Lawn by Sheet Mulching: ucanr.edu
[3] EPA WaterSense, Landscaping Tips: epa.gov
[4] California Invasive Plant Council, Cal-IPC Inventory: cal-ipc.org
[5] EPA WaterSense, Microirrigation: epa.gov
[6] UC Statewide IPM Program, Irrigation Methods: ipm.ucanr.edu
[7] State of California, Water Savings and Turf-Replacement Rebates: climateaction.ca.gov

Sign up for our Newsletter

Sign up for our Newsletter