April is water awareness month in Arizona, so we want to make sure you’re Arizona sod is getting the right amount of water while not wasting any. We found some tips that are useful and can be used year round.

For the next week you can make a great impact by following some of the water awareness tips found here. Click on each day for the Water Use It Wisely special tips; we know some of the tips aren’t just for your lawn, but in the grand scheme of things we still want you to conserve water for our state.

When it comes to watering your lawn we recommend that you check the Water Use It Wisely watering guide or your local newspaper daily. If you are unable to check it daily, check it weekly to ensure that you are not only over watering your lawn, but that you aren’t wasting any water.

With summer coming right around the corner you can also refer to our irrigation/watering schedule for summer time to make sure you know how much water your Evergreen Turf lawn requires. Make it a goal to adjust your watering schedule and conserve as much water as you can!

TifGrand – Available Summer 2011

Evergreen Turf, Arizona’s premier sod producer, is the exclusive licensed seller of TifGrand bermudagrass in the Southwest. TifGrand bermudagrass is brand new to the sod market. One of the most distinctive and beneficial characteristics of the TifGrand variety is it can grow in the shade! Evergreen Turf is currently one of 18 licensed turf providers to sell this amazing new sod variety.

For Arizona residents TifGrand Bermudagrass is an excellent sod choice. Arizona residents who want shade in the heat of the summer no longer have to compromise their beautiful green lawn. If your yard contains shade tree coverage or if your home creates shade coverage over your lawn during the day, TifGrand might be the answer for you.

• Can flourish in growth in 60-70% shade coverage; is known to continue growth well in up to 90% shade levels.
• Can grow at the same capacity in full sun.
• Requires considerably less water and fertilizer.
• Has a naturally denser and darker green blade.
• Mole cricket non-preference, which means the pests will eat it, but will eat other grass varieties nearby first.
• TifGrand was developed by scientists Dr. Wayne Hanna and Dr. Kris Braman and the University of Georgia’s turfgrass breeding program.

Arizona was a testing location throughout the development process of TifGrand bermudagrass and Evergreen Turf is confident this new sod variety will be a great choice for Arizona residents. Not only is TifGrand great for Arizona homeowners, but it is also a great sod variety for golf courses, athletics fields, and stadiums.

Anywhere where turf grows and shade is present, make the change to TifGrand bermudagrass.

*Please note that all TifGrand cannot tolerate 100% shade. It will still require 4 hours or more of sunlight per day in order to thrive.

On Thursday, September 30th, Evergreen Turf and Landscapes Unlimited completed sod installation on a new putting green at The Phoenician Resort Golf Course. The golf course hole was rerouted after the Resorts’ completion of a new ballroom. The hole adds to the character of the resort with its stunning island green surrounded by white sand. “It makes a dramatic back drop for the new ballroom and a dramatic finish for the golfers,” said (our very own) Jimmy Fox, Co-Owner of Evergreen Turf. The Phoenician Golf Course is surrounded by majestic desert views and attached to one of Arizona’s finest resorts.

Evergreen Turf used sod variety, TifEagle, the third generation of bermudagrass varieties developed exclusively for golf greens at the Coastal Plains Experiment Station in Tifton, GA. It’s used on more golf courses than any other ultradwarf and is the standard that all other greens are measured by. “TifEagle is ideal for putting greens because it is extremely fine-textured and can be mowed below one-eighth of an inch,” Fox said. TifEagle is a patented variety and can only be sold as certified sod or sprigs, and only by licensed members of the TifEagle Growers Association. Evergreen Turf is a one of those proud members to provide this variety.

TifEagle was created to withstand the abuse from reduced mowing height, frequent-verticutting, increased topdressing and minimal irrigation. TifEagle was designed to improve the speed, consistency and playability of greens and in test after test, TifEagle’s quality rated superior to Tifdwarf and other warm-season grasses. Putting speed tests are routinely in the 9 to 10 range on the Stimpmeter and often exceed 10.5 to 11 during intense management for tournament play.

Keep up on lawn care and maintenance tips as well as new installations.

Interested in learning more about the TifEagle variety? Visit our professional sod varieties page, scroll to the bottom to find specification on TifEagle.

The University of Phoenix Stadium — home of the Arizona Cardinals and twice named the top football stadium in the NFL by Street & Smith’s Sportsbusiness Journal and Sports Business Daily — kicked off pre-season last weekend when the Cardinals took on the Houston Texans. The Cardinals came back from 16-0 to defeat the Texans 19-16.

The stadium, which was recently damaged in a monsoon storm, was ready for competition as was the playing field installed by Evergreen Turf. As Arizona’s premier sod supplier, Evergreen Turf is proud to be the exclusive provider of sod to the Arizona Cardinals.

Prior to the game there was some concern about whether the stadium would be ready for competition due to the storm damage. University of Phoenix Stadium suffered damage during a reported micro burst that occurred on July 29, 2010. A hole was torn in the retractable roof and a piece of metal was ripped from the side of the building. The turf field itself was undamaged.

If you’d like to install a new lawn on your property with the same turf that’s used for the Cardinals, call Evergreen Turf today. Also visit our site for Arizona landscaping ideas.

Evergreen Turf, your Arizona sod producer, is proud to be the premier supplier of MiniVerde Ultradwarf Bermudagrass in Arizona and California. MiniVerde Bermudagrass was designed specifically for high-stress golf course greens and has received praise from golf course superintendents and golfers alike.

(more…)

The 2010 FIFA World Cup culminates this weekend in South Africa. And as the World’s premier soccer stars lace up their boots for their final 90 minute battle, Evergreen Turf has set the stage for some great soccer matches to take place right here in Arizona.

(more…)

According to University of Arizona (UA) researchers, mosquitoes can breed in a pool of water as small as a paper cup. In order to avoid an infestation of mosquitoes or other insects on and around your property this summer, make sure not to over-water your lawn.

“The mosquito operates at the paper cup level,” said Paul Robbins, who is heading up the UA study, which is focused on West Nile virus and Dengue fever.

“How can we predict where the paper cups are going to be? Where is that micro-habitat that the bug favors or doesn’t favor distributed in a complex place like a city that has culverts, drains, parks, and people who are watering their lawns, like in Phoenix,” asked Robbins?

We may not be able to eliminate every breeding ground for mosquitoes, but we can take action to limit the amount of standing water on our own property.

Although it’s hotter and drier during the summer – with the exception of monsoon season – than any other time of the year in Arizona, you don’t actually need to water your lawn more than usual. In fact, it promotes better root growth and drought tolerance to water well-established lawns only two to three times a week.

Now that it’s consistently above 80 degrees during the day and night, over-watering can leave those small, paper cup sized pools of water around long enough to allow mosquitoes to successfully breed.

“In southern Arizona, what you’re seeing under some scenarios of warming is an increased length of the mosquito season,” said Robbins. “Generally you worry about them in the rainy season, but we’re seeing that expand out to fall and spring, and that makes a big difference because it provides a much longer breeding season and a longer presence for bugs to transfer disease.”

In addition to limiting the number of breeding spots for mosquitoes, setting an appropriate watering schedule for your lawn will conserve water.

For more tips on lawn maintenance during the summer months, visit our Summer Health, Lawn Care maintenance page.

Spring has officially arrived, which means it’s time to start preparing for new landscaping projects and seasonal lawn maintenance. Every year, lawns, no matter how big or small, go through similar seeding and fertilization cycles and spring is the time when grass starts growing again. If you want to ensure a healthy lawn, take note of these tips.

(more…)

The arrival of spring in Arizona has brought with it the activity and excitement of Major League Baseball’s spring training, as well as the re-emergence of lush, green lawns.

(more…)

Mulch is used as a protective covering for plants to help them stay healthy. When placed around the plant, mulch can reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation by up to 30 percent. It can also prevent weed growth and frozen roots. Mulch can be especially beneficial to folks in Arizona as it is a particularly dry desert climate with close-to-freezing temperatures in the winter.

You can find many different types of mulch from organic materials to inorganic materials. They can vary in texture from fine to coarse and in some instances, rocks can even suffice as proper mulch. To choose the right type of mulch for your lawn, find one that meshes well with your landscape design and reduces water loss at the same time.

Mulch helps drainage and encourages root development for plants in your yard. Additionally, mulch improves the soil in your yard by making nutrients more accessible to plants. Insulating soil and plants during winter months and cooling them during summer months is another benefit gained from installing mulch in your backyard landscape. It can also serve as a nice decorative style to your landscape design.

Organic mulches include materials that were once living. Some examples of organic mulch are bark, leaves, wood chips and compost. If you’re looking to find organic mulch, many nurseries have mulches specially prepared which you can purchase. Rocks are considered inorganic material and serve as a good alternative to organic mulch. However, it’s important to note that rocks can get hot which can hurt your lawn. As a tip, rock mulch should be shaded with water-efficient plants.

Using your hands is the best way to spread the mulch. During the cooler seasons, layer it about one to three inches. As a rule, the mulch and the plants do not come in direct contact with one another as this may cause certain disease problems. Instead, form a ring of mulch about two to three inches away from the plant. Once this is done, water the mulch a little bit to moisten it and settle it into place.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Evergreen Turf, Arizona’s premier sod farm. Check out our lawn care guide for more useful resources and to find answers to all of your lawn care questions.