Vegetable Gardens

Growing Vegetables at Home

Customers who have non-commercial vegetable gardens at their residences may operate drip irrigation three days per week in Stage 3 in addition to the designated Monday and Friday drip irrigation days, vegetable gardens may also be irrigated by drip systems on Wednesdays. This exception to the designated days for drip irrigation requires that:

  • The beds being irrigated are exclusively dedicated to vegetables. Landscaped beds that include only an occasional vegetable/companion vegetable plant such as squash or kale are not exclusively vegetable beds. Beds of edible florals are not considered exclusively vegetable beds.
  • Vegetables grown are used for home consumption and not sold commercially.
  • Hand watering any time, any day is allowed. Any other type of irrigation in a vegetable garden is subject to the watering rules.
  • Drip irrigation on any other parts of the residence other than in the vegetable garden beds must only be operated on Monday and Friday, per the drought Stage 3 watering rules.

You do not need to apply for this variance. For additional information about the optimal way to use drip irrigation in a residential vegetable garden please visit the Texas AgriLife website.