Maintaining a landscape of healthy, green grass can be plenty challenging in Arizona and throughout the Southwest —especially when Mother Nature chooses not to cooperate. Don’t let a seasonal drought deter you from enjoying a beautiful lawn. Follow these lawn tips to conserve water while still preserving your Arizona sod.

Give your lawn a makeover.

Decrease your total square footage of sod by creating scattered beds of succulents or ornamental plants. The best low maintenance plants for your yard depend on your respective climate zone, thus it’s wise to visit your local garden center for an expert opinion. Desert rock landscaping is popular in Arizona for a reason—don’t shy away from following suit. Many homeowners choose to designate a small area of the yard to grass while filling the remaining areas and perimeter with rock. This allows for the majority of the yard to be low maintenance while still giving you a space to entertain guests, play a game of soccer with the kids, or let the dog out to do his business.

Adhere to a minimal watering schedule.

Some of the most common types of grass in Arizona include St. Augustine, Tifway and Midiron and are known for withstanding harsh summer conditions and relentless heat. Make sure you stick to a minimal watering schedule during times of drought. For help on this, check out our Summer and Winter watering schedule for Arizona sod lawns. You might even consider landscaping with extremely drought-resistant types of sod. Tifgreen 328, for example, needs very little water, but does demand frequent mowing, fertilizing, and dethatching.

Turn off sprinklers when it rains.

This may seem like an obvious practice during a drought, but it’s easy to overlook if you have an irrigation system on an automatic timer. During the monsoon season, switch your sprinklers to a manual setting and take into account natural rainfall when planning out your weekly schedule. This advice becomes especially important when the city enforces strict “no watering” periods as you may be subject to fines or other penalties.

Collect rainwater to use on your lawn.

There are several methods of collecting rainwater, ranging from basic DIY buckets and barrels to the professional installation of underground tanks. Choose a method that’s most appropriate for your home or garden and don’t forget to account for the redistribution of water once it’s collected. This could mean installing a pump or syphon by which you disperse the water from its storage container (sometimes at a higher elevation). Also, make sure you check your city regulations and laws, as some areas do not permit the collection of rainwater.

Other tips and tricks to consider

1. Water early in the morning so the blades can soak up as much water as possible with minimal evaporation.
2. Hand water trouble spots rather than the entire yard.
3. Mow your lawn to a height of three inches; taller blades mean more shade for your soil and less evaporation.
4. Minimize foot traffic which will further damage brittle grass.
5. Just accept it. Your lawn may not look its best, but it should bounce back easily in the following season with the right care.

A great yard doesn’t have to mean constant upkeep or accommodating weather. If your city is prone to drought-like conditions or is expected to face one in the near future, you’ll want to take the proper precautions with your green grass to maintain its health and beauty. It may mean sacrificing more time or money to account for the lack of natural rainfall, but—as with any other home maintenance endeavor—your diligence will pay off in the long run.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call and talk to one of our sod specialists at 602-626-9959 if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

Late summer means hot weather and longer periods of sunshine, which can cause stress and damage to your grass. Keep an eye on your lawn to make sure that any dry spots start getting enough water. If you’re not sure how to best care for your lawn in the heat, it might be a good idea to consult a professional. Otherwise, the following are some tips to help you prepare your yard for the next season.

Beware of Summer Pests

June beetles, Japanese beetles, and European chafers all lay eggs in the grass during the early and middle of summer. These eggs begin to hatch mid to late summer, and the timing can vary depending on what region you live in. Where you live in will dictate what time is the best time to lay down grub control.

Treat Brown Spots

Brown patches are caused by fungus that thrives in the hot, humid weather of late summer. While most brown patches will correct themselves as the weather cools, there are things you can do to reduce or eliminate them. Avoid watering your lawn more than every three to four days, and seed your lawn with resistant grasses that are not as susceptible to fungus.

Remedy Thinning Grass

To improve the health of your lawn, you need to rake or dethatch dead grass. When you remove accumulated dead grass, you allow air and sunlight to get reach the healthy grass. Doing this will help promote growth and hopefully reduce thinning. Consult a professional if you are not sure how much to remove. The thatch protects grass during the winter, so you do not want to eliminate too much of it.

Choose the Right Fertilizer

Your yard needs a different fertilizer in the late summer than it needs during the other seasons. Your location will partially dictate what type of fertilizer you need, and whether you need the fertilizer to treat a specific issue or to build turf. If you are not sure what your lawn needs, it is best to consult a professional. You could be wasting time and money treating your lawn with the wrong fertilizer. For more information, check out our page on the Five Types of Fertilizer.

Mowing

Mowing your lawn can have an impact on its health, and using a mower with a dull blade can leave the grass shredded and frayed. Grass that is cut too short will allow too much sunlight to reach the roots and the grass will burn. You are going to want to leave your grass a little longer during the hottest part of the summer, as this will help it survive the heat.

Weeds

When you have weeds in your yard in the late summer, it is a good idea to pull them by hand. Pulling weeds up from the root completely removes the plant. This is more effective than just mowing over the weeds, and is more environmentally friendly than spraying chemical weed killers. If you walk through your yard a few times per week and pull any weeds you find, your yard will look much better than if you do not.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call and talk to one of our sod specialists at 602-626-9959 if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

A healthy green lawn can seem like an oasis during the hot desert heat. However, having a green lawn year-round in Arizona can be a challenge, but it is not impossible. With a little work and knowledge, you too can have a lawn that will be the envy of your neighborhood.

Understanding the Different Types of Grasses

Most Arizona sod in the hottest areas of the state consists of Bermuda grass. This warm-season turf grass is best suited to the heat and will stay green and continue to grow as long as it has enough water. It is a perennial grass, meaning it comes back year after year. Its active season is usually from May to September. When the temperatures start to warm up in May, the Bermuda grass begins to awaken and turn green again once the temperatures remain consistently above the 80 degree range during the day. In September, when the temperatures start to get cooler, Bermuda grasses will begin to turn yellow. While your lawn may look dead, it actually is not, this just means the grass has gone dormant.

If you want to ensure that your lawn is green from October through May until the Bermuda grass becomes active again, you will want to overseed your lawn with Rye grass. This grass is suited to cooler temperatures and will begin to die off in May once the afternoons start to become hotter. However, during the time your Bermuda grass is in dormancy, it will flourish and keep your lawn green until May. The best time to overseed your Arizona sod is through the second week of October through the second week of November.

Proper Water and Feeding of Your Lawn

You would think that with the heat that the Arizona area gets during the summer, it would be impossible to overwater your lawn, but you can damage or kill your lawn with too much water. When watering your lawn less often but deeper is best between watering. You should only water your lawn once every three days during the summer. When you watering, you want to do so that the soil is moist at least eight inches deep.

The best time of day to water your lawn is when it is cool, preferably in the early morning. This helps prevent the water from evaporating away, and will actually help save on your watering costs. Another reason to water in the morning instead of in the evening when the sun goes down is to prevent fungus growth. Fungus can grow and damage your lawn if it stays damp overnight.

Your lawn should only require fertilization two to four times a year to keep it healthy. Do not fertilize your Bermuda grass in the spring until you see new growth. Rye grass should be fertilized during the winter.

Best Time to Address Weeds and Pests is Before They Strike

They say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. When it comes to keeping your Arizona sod healthy, it is better to be proactive when dealing with weeds and pests than deal with their damage. Be care to use only products that specify they can be used with Bermuda grass to avoid damaging your lawn. Even if you have taken preventive measures, it is still possible for weeds and pests to strike. Watch your lawn for any signs of activity and act promptly.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call and talk to one of our sod specialists at 602-626-9959 if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

Are you trying to get your lawn and garden in the best shape possible? Then it’s important to understand the process of fertilizing, including why and when to fertilize your lawn and plants.

Feeding your lawn is one of the most important things you can do to keep it in good health and to keep the grass green all year round. Fertilizers help to build a better root system, which in turn helps protect your lawn from extreme heat, cold, drought, foot traffic, and other stress factors.

First of all, keep in mind that every lawn is different depending on where you live, how much sun your lawn gets, and many other factors. You may find you need to tweak your fertilizer schedule depending on your unique lawn needs. But to get started, here are some general tips on when to fertilize your lawn.

Early Spring

February through April – This is the time where your lawn begins to “wake up” from the winter. Fertilizing your lawn during this time strengthens the roots and helps to set it up for success during the heavy growing season. If you have weeds in your lawn, consider using a fertilizer with a pre-emergent in it to control weed growth. If you’re unsure which type of fertilizer to use on your lawn, check out our article on the 5 types of fertilizers.

Late Spring

April through June – During this time of year, your lawn is working hard and using the energy it stored during the winter months. So it’s important to fertilize sometime during the late spring in order to give your lawn the energy it needs to stay healthy during the summer and fall.

Summer

June through August – If you live in Arizona like us, summer is the toughest time on home lawns. Not only does the heat take a toll on the lawn, but you also have insects to fight! Fertilizing your lawn in the summer will encourage continued growth so that you still have a lawn in the fall, which is the perfect time for outdoor entertaining in the hot southwestern states.

Fall

September through November – Fall brings pleasant weather and ideal conditions back to your lawn. Your lawn is ready for another growth period, and will need nutrients in order to thrive. The increased rainfall, morning dew and cooler evenings of fall create the best environment for a healthy lawn. Apply your fertilizer just before the winter chill hits in order to increase nitrogen storage. This will help create a healthy lawn in the spring next year.

Follow this lawn fertilizer schedule to maintain a healthy lawn all year round. For more tips and information, check out our Lawn Nutrition and Fertilization page.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

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Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or just starting out with gardening, knowing the best ways to control weeds in your garden will save you a lot of time in the long run. Gardening is like therapy for many people, providing stress relief and other benefits. However, for others, the idea of a garden is nice, but they just don’t want to deal with the weeds.

Check out these top 4 tips for lawn and garden weed control. We hope they help you control the weeds in your garden so you can enjoy gardening even more.

1. Install a weed cloth or mulch

Did you know that you can make mulch out of many different materials? Many people use leftover grass clippings or wood chips as mulch. However, you can also use things like newspaper. For adequate garden weed control, you’ll need to apply about a dozen layers of newspaper. Alternatively, shredded paper or cardboard makes even better mulch than flat sheets because it’s easier to spread and stays in place better than layers of newspaper. If you don’t want to deal with mulch, a simple weed cloth works great too.

2. Use a tiller to remove small weeds

If you have a sizable garden, tillers are an easy and effective way to get rid of the small weeds that crop up around your plants. Make sure you plant your herbs and vegetables approximately 12 inches apart so that you can maneuver a tiller easily through each row. Also, frequent tilling is recommended so that you get the weeds while they are young and small. As a tip, you can till every time you mow your lawn to keep a consistent schedule.

3. Use a hoe to remove larger weeds

Sometimes you need to bring out the big guns to get rid of larger weeds that can’t be removed with a tiller alone. Also, if you have a smaller garden, sometimes a tiller is a bit unnecessary, as a hoe is all you need to control weeds in small gardens. Again, just make sure you do it often to prevent major weed growth.

When you are hoeing, make sure you disturb as little soil as possible. The reason for this is to prevent weed seeds from germinating. See, most of the weed seeds are hiding in your soil, and they need sunlight in order to germinate. Some weed seeds only need a couple of seconds of sunlight to germinate. So the more you disturb the soil, the more weed seeds you will cause to germinate and begin to grow.

4. Apply weed preventatives

Check your local home improvement store for weed preventative products you can apply to your lawn. These are designed to stop weeds before they begin to grow. They will not kill existing weeds. One of the more popular products out there is called Preen garden weed preventer. Preen is a fluoride-based herbicide and generally safe to use in vegetable gardens. Whatever product you choose, apply your weed preventative on clean cultivated soil and water it immediately.

These 4 tips will help you control weeds in your garden so you can spend more time smelling the roses and less time pulling weeds!

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions and our Spring Transition page for more spring lawn care advice, or give us a call at 602.626.9959 if you don’t find what you are looking for. Have a specific question about your lawn? Email us at info@evergreenturf.com. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

Check out these summer lawn care watering tips to help you keep your yard in tip-top shape through summer.

1. Water during the cool morning hours.

This helps to minimize evaporation. Do not water at night as this can promote disease.

2. Water your lawn every three days.

This can vary slightly depending on how well established your lawn is. If you have a fairly new lawn you may still need to water daily until it becomes more rooted. But if your lawn is a standard, well-established lawn then every three days should do it.

3. Adjust sprinkler heads to span the entire yard.

Most of the issues homeowners encounter with their lawn has to do with the sprinklers. Make sure your sprinklers are situated properly so that they span the entire lawn, leaving no patches dry or over-soaked.

4. Make sure nothing is blocking the sprinkler heads.

Check each and every sprinkler head to make sure it is set in line with the lawn and there is nothing blocking the water stream.

5. Hand water dry areas.

Rather than applying extra water to the entire lawn, simply hand water dry patches until they start to gain moisture levels comparable to the rest of the lawn.

6. Replace any damaged sprinklers immediately.

Check your sprinklers at least every couple of weeks for damage and replace accordingly. Ask your guests and children to tread lightly around the sprinkler heads to avoid excess damage.

7. Reduce watering when it has rained.

During monsoon season and other periods of heavy rain, be sure to adjust your watering schedule. Check for signs of overwatering such as puddles and discoloration. If needed, stop watering all together until the rain has cleared.

8. Water shaded areas about 30% less than sunny areas.

Shaded areas need less water than sunny areas since the shade helps the soil retain more water than sunny spots. Note that no type of sod can tolerate 100% shade. So while it might be tempting to throw up shade sails all over your yard to combat the hot Arizona summer months, this is not recommended.

9. If your yard runs at a slope, make sure you have an irrigation system in place.

Proper irrigation is essential for overall lawn health. So if needed, install an irrigation system to allow water runoff from your lawn. If you don’t feel confident doing this on your own, it’s best to hire a contractor to do this for you.

For more information on summer lawn care and watering tips, check out our page Lawn Care – Summer Health.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

All plants need fertilizer just like they need sunlight and water. Think of fertilizers as healthy supplements for plants. Just like people take vitamins and supplements to achieve optimum health, soil often needs help via fertilizers to be able to give the plants everything they need nutritionally. This helps the plants achieve optimum growth and yield.

Whether you’re working in your garden or trying to get a fresh green lawn all year round, fertilizer can help you get the most out of your plants. Here is a breakdown of the five major types of fertilizer.

Fertilizer with Pesticide

This type of fertilizer is most commonly used when you need to protect your lawn or plants from pests that may damage them. When looking for fertilizer with pesticide, make sure the pesticide is not too strong, otherwise you risk killing your plants too.

Products to look for: Bayer, Jobes, Scotts

Time release fertilizer

If you’re looking for fertilizer that will work for several months, time-release fertilizer is the way to go. These will slowly release their nutrients over a period of 2-6 months typically. The benefit to time-release fertilizer is that the plants have less risk of getting burned because the plants do not receive a full blast of nutrients. However, it’s important to note that the release of nutrients is accelerated in the presence of water and moisture.

Products to look for: Milorganite

Liquid fertilizer

Liquid fertilizers are great when you need to quickly deliver nutrients to your plants, since the liquid seeps right into the roots. You need to reapply more frequently than other types of fertilizer since the liquid is quickly used up by the plant. Using liquid fertilizer on large yards may not be economically feasible, but they work great on indoor and outdoor gardens.

Products to look for: Nachurs, Scotts Miracle-Gro

Plant specific fertilizer

Some plants are down-right picky. For these types of plants, it’s easy to over-fertilize using traditional fertilizer products. This is why there are plant-specific fertilizers. These types of fertilizers are specially designed to give the plants the specific ratio of nutrients they need to thrive.

Products to look for: Cutting Edge Solutions

Inorganic fertilizer

Also known as synthetic fertilizer, this type of fertilizer is best for plants that are in dire need of immediate help. Inorganic fertlizers quickly infuse nutrients to plants and instantly produce ammonia as a by-product which malnourished and dying plants need to revive themselves. It’s usually best to keep a stash of inorganic fertilizer around for when you need it most.

Products to look for: Jobes

Each type of fertilizer has its own advantage. Get to know which types of fertilizers work best with your lawn and garden. Keep a healthy stock of fertilizer in your garden shed or garage so you can use them anytime you need. For more information, visit our Lawn Nutrition and Fertilization page.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

Do you feel like you’re doing everything right, but your lawn still looks discolored? In Arizona, it can be challenging for some folks to maintain a sod lawn due to the extreme heat of the summer and other factors. The solution to your sod woes might be lawn aeration. In Phoenix, aeration should be an integral part of lawn care. Here’s why.

Relieve Soil Compaction — Over time, foot traffic and dry periods can compact the soil. Aeration relieves this soil compaction. As a result, water quickly reaches the roots before it evaporates. Therefore, less water is needed. Likewise, fertilizer gets to the roots where it is needed.

Lawn Thatch Reduction — It’s good to allow your grass clippings to settle back into the lawn. The need for nitrogen fertilizer can be reduced 25-30 percent by doing so. The clippings decompose over time, thereby enriching and loosening the soil. However, if you have too many clippings left on your lawn, they can weave themselves into a water and air-resistant mat, known as thatch. Heavy thatch can leave your lawn starved for oxygen. Water sits on the thatch, and too much evaporates before it can soak in and nourish the soil and sod. When you aerate your lawn, soil plugs generated by aeration break down and release micro-organisms. These micro-organisms can speed the breakdown of the remaining thatch, which creates a healthier lawn.

Organic Fertilization — To maximize the benefits of organic-based fertilizers, twice-a-year aeration may be preferable. 60 percent slow-release fertilizers are often the best match for freshly aerated lawns.

By contrast, fertilizers too-high in nitrogen can bring about unhealthy growth patterns. Finally, “weed-and-feed” style fertilizers should be avoided, because they are too potent when delivered directly to the roots of younger seedlings. Weed and Feed can actually kill or disfigure such plants.

Healing the Damage — The heat tolerance of your Arizona grass is actually expanded through the aeration process. Lawns damaged by drought can recover more readily. Aeration allows the direct delivery of water and fertilizer to the roots of weakened turf. Grasses that are dormant in the winter can spring back to life more readily with aeration.

Enhance Disease Resistance — A stronger, healthier lawn is also a more disease-resistant one. Plus, unhealthy organisms tend to thrive in heavily thatched lawns.

Germinating Chambers — Think of those holes created by aeration as little chambers where seedlings can get established in an ideal environment of loose, moist soil. The plugs break down and loose soil drops into the holes, creating an ideal environment for the growth of new grass.

The bottom line is, invest in aeration in the short-term and enjoy water and fertilizer savings in the long-term.

Steps to Aerate Your Lawn

Old lawns with extreme thatch, or lawns with heavy traffic are good candidates for aerification. Aerification is normally performed with a core aerator machine that pulls small “cores” out of the lawn, about a half-inch in diameter. This is a service that can be by a contractor, or you can rent an aerator from a local equipment rental company and do it yourself. For more lawn care tips, check out our lawn care frequently asked questions.

At Evergreen Turf, we grow, sell and install the healthiest sod in Arizona. With proper care, your investment in a sod lawn can pay off in a beautiful and functional lawn for years to come. Aeration can represent one helpful component in a complete lawn care regimen.

Select the perfect sod using our lawn selector. Once you’ve found the perfect type of grass, you can order online or by phone. Learn how to measure your lawn and how to install your new lawn with our helpful online guides.

Spring has sprung! The air is warm, the days are long, and people are once again breaking out their lawnmowers to get ready for summer. Homeowners everywhere are stocking up on fertilizer, aerators, garden supplies, and other equipment with a goal of creating a beautiful lush lawn this spring.

If you want a fresh lawn all summer long, it’s best to start with early spring lawn care. During the winter, the pH of your soil can change, creating an unfriendly environment for healthy lawns. Weeds and disease can also pop up during the cold months, so it’s important for you to take the time to properly care for your lawn in the early spring.

Spring Lawn Care Tip #1: Raking

Most Arizona homeowners do not have to wait for the ground to dry out, since most of the state does not see snow during the winter months. However, it’s still important to give your lawn a light raking in the early spring to get rid of any leaves and other debris from the winter months.

Spring Lawn Care Tip #2: Overseeding

Once you’ve raked your yard, you’ll have a better idea of problem areas that need to be addressed. High traffic, dog spots and neglect can all result in bare patches on your lawn. When this happens, you can apply grass seed to fill those bare patches; this is known as “overseeding.” It’s important to note however that overseeding is typically the most successful when done in the fall. So unless your situation is really bad, try to postpone overseeding your lawn until after summer.

Spring Lawn Care Tip #3: Fertilizing

If you’re concerned about using harsh chemical fertilizers on your lawn, you can always use organic compost or mulch instead. But for those who prefer the commercial chemical fertilizers, you can easily find fertilizing schedules to ensure you’re fertilizing your lawn properly. As a tip, it’s best to only use fertilizer lightly in the spring, with heavier doses applied in the fall.

Spring Lawn Care Tip #4: Pull Weeds

Again, for those of you who want to take care of your lawn in the most natural way possible, it’s time to get down and dirty and pull out all those weeds that have grown during the winter. If you like a more hands-off approach, you can apply herbicides to kill perennial weeds.

Spring Lawn Care Tip #5: Lawn Mower Tune-up

With just a little bit of TLC, you can ensure your lawn mower and other lawn equipment stays in good condition all year long. Here are some tips you can use to tune up your lawn mower:

• Remove gasoline
• Disconnect spark plug
• Remove the blade and sharpen it
• Drain the oil
• Clean all the equipment
• Refill the oil
• Replace the spark plug

This is all cheap and easy to do, and will ensure that your lawn equipment works as it should, especially during the spring and summer months when you need it most.

Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.

Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions and our Spring Transition page for more spring lawn care advice, or give us a call at 602.626.9959 if you don’t find what you are looking for. Have a specific question about your lawn? Email us at info@evergreenturf.com. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.

Lawn care isn’t as simple as it might seem. Many homeowners learn this fast.

Even if you attempt to stay on top of lawn maintenance, it’s possible your lawn doesn’t look the way you envisioned it. Perhaps this is happening because you’re making one of the following all-too-common (but equally understandable) lawn care errors:

Mowing Your Grass Too Low

Many homeowners assume it’s best to use the mower setting that will cut their grass the shortest. They may believe doing so will serve two purposes: ensuring their lawn looks neat and orderly while also increasing the length of time they can wait before mowing again.

However, mowing your grass too short can prevent it from absorbing nutrients in sunlight and air. The grass will simply have too little surface area. In addition, mowing too low can damage the roots, leaving them more vulnerable to harm.

For most home lawns, at best mowing height is between 1 to 3 inches.  The shorter you maintain your lawn, the more frequently you will need to mow it.  If you want it less than an inch, you will need to mow it twice per week, which can be a lot of work.  Mowing between 1 to 3 inches will be the optimum for sunlight, water, and nutrient use.

Not Sharpening Your Mower Blades

Don’t assume your mower’s blades are sharp enough to cut your grass effectively! Every season, inspect your mower’s blades to determine whether they’ve grown dull after repeated use.

A common sign of dull blades is grass that appears frayed or shredded. If your grass doesn’t look cleanly cut after a mowing session, visit your local hardware store to ask if they can sharpen your mower blades. If you’d prefer to save money, they may also provide the tools for you to sharpen the blades yourself.

Not Adjusting Lawn Care With the Seasons

The right approach to lawn care during one season may not be ideal during another. Naturally, you may know the grass needs more water during certain times of year than others. In addition, it can grow more rapidly during some seasons, which may impact your mowing schedule.

Depending on what type of grass you grow and if you overseed, as winter turns to spring, you might find your current grass can no longer thrive in the warmer weather. You might thus need to transition your lawn to a different type of grass as the seasons change. A lawn care professional can explain the nuances of this process in greater detail.

Making Common Watering Mistakes

More water isn’t always better for your grass. Overwatering can carry nutrients away from the grass, resulting in the same essential consequences as underwatering.

The average lawn needs about 1.5 inches of water per week during the summer, but only a half inch per week during the winter. A lawn care expert can explain how much water your specific lawn may need based on the type of grass you have.

However, providing your lawn with the right amount of water doesn’t always mean you’re watering it correctly. The water needs time to reach the roots. Water long enough to penetrate the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

Choosing the Wrong Type of Grass

An earlier point highlighted the importance of transitioning to a new type of grass as the seasons change. Some homeowners don’t realize they may be using the wrong type of grass for the time of year they’re in.

For example, a sod variety like Midiron may be best for the warmer  months of the year in a climate like Arizona’s. During the winter , you may want to consider overseeding with perennial ryegrass for a dark green color.  One of the new trends for saving water in the winter is to paint your lawn with one of the newly developed pigments that will give your lawn a “real grass” color, without having to mow or water as much.

Speak With a Professional for More Lawn Care Information

The right sod for your lawn, the right schedule for watering, and various other lawn care details can depend on such factors as where you live, what type of visual effect you wish to achieve, and more.

Don’t worry if you make any of these lawn care errors. Homeowners often don’t realize that lawn care is both an art and a science. Fortunately, by coordinating with professionals, you can learn to keep your lawn looking its best for years to come.