It's Overseed Season in Phoenix!

Here are some tips and tricks for overseeding turf in Phoenix!

Planting Rye Grass

The best time to overseed Bermuda with Rye, in the Phoenix area, is from early to middle October. Plant too early and the sun can bake the seedlings. Also, when the weather is still hot the Bermuda is still growing and will compete with the Rye seedlings. Plant too late and germination is slow because the weather isn't warm enough. So, there is a relatively small window of opportunity.

To prepare the Bermuda grass for overseeding scalp it as short as possible without actually digging it up or sucking up a bunch of dirt with the mower. Also, if the mower is lugging really hard you're probably going too far down. Cutting to around a half of an inch in height is usually about right. Watch out for those sprinkler heads when you are cutting this low to make sure you go around them. 

After scalping the Bermuda should be thatched. For smaller lawns a thatching rake is sufficient. Next, sow the grass seed using a drop spreader. A thin layer of manure compost mix can be used as a cover, but this is often not necessary.

The manure compost cover aids in germination and amends the soil, but just spreading some extra seed will make up for any germination differences. However, using a cover is important if one is starting a new lawn, because in this case the soil present is native desert soil and there is really not sufficient topsoil for the grass.

The manure compost mix can be spread using a fertilizer spreader, or by simply cutting open the bags and dragging them in a line while letting the mix steadily come out. The lines of mix can then be spread using a garden rake. If you decide to cover the seed, it is the most labor intensive part of the job, and the most expensive because a lot of mix is needed. Local stores will often recommend using a cover every year because it is good business for them.

Water the seed for ten minutes at a time, twice a day for the first three days. After this slowly taper off. The ground should be kept moist but not soaking wet. Typically, the grass will emerge within two weeks.

Conserving Water

Given the Phoenix areas limited water supplies there is a lot of concern about conserving water. Listed here are some ways to use water efficiently.

Water in early morning, finishing at least an hour before the sun comes up, to minimize loss to evaporation.

Do not overwater. Watering the lawn every day not only wastes water but makes the grass less healthy. Strive to train the grass to use as little water as possible. Watering the grass more deeply and less frequently will encourage it to grow deeper roots.

Set the lawnmower to a high cutting level. Taller grass shields its base from evaporation and therefore requires less watering. Two inches is a good cutting height. Note: Hybrid Bermudas should not be allowed to grow above their recommended cutting height. See above for more information on hybrids.

Do not water after rain. In fact, in rainier winters, Ryegrass can go months without needing to be watered.