As the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, just a little, the calendar tells us that even though it doesn’t feel very much like fall, that season has arrived and now is the perfect time to prepare your Winter lawn! Unlike many states in the nation, our winter lawns can be lush, verdant, and even thicker and greener than our summer ones, and this guide will help you attain what formerly seemed unattainable. Your winter lawn can be the envy of the neighborhood and the most beautiful on the block!
Winter Rye is the Answer
Your summer Bermuda goes dormant once the temperatures consistently fall below 65 degrees at night, making this the perfect time to start the prep. Your first step will to be cut your grass low; your mower blade should be between ¼ and ½ inch, being sure to clean up all the clippings your mower may leave behind. Your yard will look stark, naked, and brown, but never fear—this stage doesn’t last long.
Now that you have a scalped lawn, it’s time to see with the winter rye. The amount you need varies and is determined by how long you like your grass to be when it is green; for grass between one and two inches, you’ll need about 12 pounds of seed for every 1000 square feet, and 15 pounds for shorter lawns. As you sow the seeds you will want to ensure you don’t skip any spots or overlap in others. Sowing in two directions will help eliminate this issue, but to be honest, you should be more concerned with bare spots than the overlap issue.
Once the seed is spread, it’s time for the smelly stuff. If you have lived in Arizona for at least one fall, you’ve experienced fertilizer season, and now you have an idea as to what all the stink is about: the desire for a beautiful winter lawn! Grab a clothespin, some thick gloves, and follow the directions on the bag for the correct way to spread the fertilizer and prepare for at least a week of keeping your doors and windows shut as much as possible if you don’t want the smell to permeate your house.
The final step is the watering your winter lawn. We live in the desert and rain falls rarely this time of year, so you will need to water five times a day for about two weeks to let the seeds germinate. At the end of two weeks, be sure to set your sprinkler timer back to only once a day, and about two weeks after that, you can mow your beautiful lawn for the first time of the season. Winter rye grows fast and thick, so count on this being a weekly chore, but if your kids looking for a little extra spending money, you won’t have to worry!
Take the Easy Way for Your Winter Lawn
The simplest way to prep for your winter lawn is to give us a call today and let us do the labor. We can help you turn your dreary backyard into a beautiful spot that will make all the neighbors jealous!
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