EL CAJON, Calif. -- The scorching heat in San Diego County has many homeowners concerned about whether their landscaping will survive under the current water restrictions.

"You can have a very lush and tropical landscape in place of your lawn because some of the drought-powered plants do look tropical, things like bird of paradise, agopanthis," said landscape technician David Yetz.

Yetz said one of the biggest secrets to helping landscaping withstand the heat is mulch. He said it stops evaporation and adds nutritional value to plants.

"Is this any kind of special mulch or is this stuff any body can buy?" asked 10News' Mitch Blacher.

"This is what anybody can get from the Miramar Landfill," said Yetz.

The landfill will give city residents mulch for free, and it is only $3 per cubic yard for everyone else.

Yetz also said watering during the coolest part of the night is important, and at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon they water at 3 a.m.

"Will three, four days of severe heat really ruin my lawn?" asked Blacher.

"Most lawns can recover from it," said Yetz.

Yetz is still encouraging people to use drought-resistant plants. He said it takes about a year for a plant's roots to become established, and during that time they need a lot of water.

"Once they become established we can turn the irrigation off and water when it's real hot like this," said Yetz.

If you want to plant plants that are not drought resistant, experts said now is not the time to do it. The best time, experts recommended, is in the fall.