Arizona Lawn Care Tips

Lawn care isn’t just about regular watering and the occasional weekend mow. Many frustrated homeowners would even argue it’s a science. Arizona lawns in particular must be properly maintained due to extreme summer temperatures. Keep your lawn looking just as nice as the day you laid sod with these maintenance tips for your backyard.

sod in arizona

Summer Watering Tips

  • Avoid watering daily as over-watering robs the root system of oxygen
  • Don’t be afraid of under-watering—the reverse is far more damaging. Water thoroughly but infrequently and always follow the guidelines for your particular grass
  • On average, ten inches of water below the soil provides enough depth to sufficiently water the grass. Pro tip: Test with a screwdriver one hour after watering.
  • Program your automatic sprinklers to activate 1-2 hours before sunrise to take advantage of cooler temperatures and minimal evaporation.

Preparing for the Cold

  • Understand that the dormancy period of your Arizona sod is standard and necessary for the life cycles of your grass.
  • If you can’t live without a beautiful green lawn in the winter, go ahead and overseed your warm-season grass with cool-season reinforcement.
  • Give Bermuda grass a rest every few years as overseeding can prove stressful to overworked roots.

Know How to Mow

Here’s the thing with mowing—it’s not only important to do it, it’s important to do it right. When overgrown, long blades provide too much shade preventing the shorter ones from growing. This leads to shaggy grass with tons of space for—you guessed it—weeds. If you mow your grass too short, it sucks up too much water. Note: If your yard is particularly shady, add about 25% more height based on the following guide:

  • Bermuda/Perennial/Annual Rye: 1.5 – 2 inches
  • Hybrid Bermuda: 0.5 – 1 inch

Arizona Soil: 101

Did you know Arizona soil is comprised of surface, subsurface, and subsoil layers? This is important to know because it affects how your grass will grow. Subsoil is the finest of the three and contains less organic matter which is what essentially determines the condition of your lawn. In order to prepare your soil for optimal growth:

  • Alter its chemical makeup by adding organic matter such as manure to help deliver water and nutrients to your Arizona sod grass.
  • Aerate your Bermuda grass in May or June in order to give the soil better access to water and oxygen. You can also do this the day after a good monsoon rain when the soil is easy to break up.

Caring for Flowers and Other Plants

What Arizona backyard is complete without desert plants like succulents and groundcovers? Be sure you understand the needs of each type of plant that complements your lawn. For example, cacti need little water to survive, so you wouldn’t want your automatic sprinkler heads to douse them or nearby succulents. Take note of perennial grow schedules to ensure you’re caring for your grass and flowers at the right times. Lastly, make sure you know how much space you’ll need for a mature garden or shrub. You don’t want to provide too much shade to sun-dependent grass or create an obstruction of walkways.

Caring for your Arizona lawn doesn’t have to be an arduous task so long as you stay on schedule. If you don’t have time or patience to maintain your Arizona sod grass, give us a call at 480-456-1199 to discuss re-sod options. You don’t want to wait until your annual end of summer BBQ to try and take on a dead patches or overgrown weeds.

Get 10% off your next purchase of sod plus free delivery (500 sq/ft minimum order) when you order online today.

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