If you have an Arizona sod lawn, making a care plan can be challenging. For one, the state features 10+ USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, and seasonal changes vary drastically by region.

If you live in one of the state’s drier areas, how can you balance the desire for a bright green lawn with an eco-friendly lifestyle?

In this guide, we’ll break down nine tips for eco-conscious lawn care specifically tailored to Arizona residents. While some of these suggestions may require a little extra elbow grease, others rely on simple science. Whichever you choose, incorporating even one of the tips below will help you maintain your lawn with the planet in mind.

#1 Beware of Overwatering

There are three important things to remember about overwatering your lawn:

1. It can damage your grass – Overwatering can create shallow root systems, reduce your lawn’s tolerance to environmental changes (like drought), and provide a prime environment for unsavory insects.
2. It’s not eco-friendly – Water may be a renewable resource, but droughts can be especially impactful in dry climates like Southwest Arizona. Avoid unnecessary demands on the water supply by watering thoughtfully.
3. It’s expensive – Water isn’t free; overwatering your lawn could become expensive fast.

Instead of overwatering, follow a few sensible guidelines that can keep your lawn green:

• Irrigate early in the morning or in the evening to ensure optimal absorption.
• Use the same amount of water all year long, but adjust your frequency seasonally
  • e., water less frequently in the rainy season than you do when it’s dry
• Control your weeds to ensure that your grass is getting the majority of the water

These practices will benefit your lawn, the environment, and your wallet—a win-win-win.

#2 Use a Push or Electric Mower Instead of a Gas Mower

Gas mowers aren’t the most eco-friendly option for trimming. They require gasoline to operate—a finite resource—and they release greenhouse gas emissions during combustion.

If you’re ready to adopt environmentally conscious mowing, you have two choices. You can:

1. Switch to a manual push mower that doesn’t use gas
2. Opt for an electric mower

Battery-operated mower technology is only improving; some models boast up to an hour of runtime, and lawn care gurus have numerous brands to choose from.

And, if you want to double up on your environmentally-friendly efforts, you can charge your batteries using solar power. What could be greener than a fossil fuel-free lawn?

#3 Swap Your Leaf Blower for a Rake (Or an Electric Blower)

Raking leaves was a childhood chore for many, which may have taken some of the charm out of the activity. But using a rake or electric leaf blower instead of a gas-powered one is a much more eco-conscious method (for the same reasons a gas mower isn’t the greenest choice).

And, like mowers, electric leaf blowers are getting better every year.

For proof, just take a look at the Ego Cordless Leaf Blower: It blows 765 CFM (more if you opt for the high-capacity battery), which beats even some gas-powered, backpack blower models.

Starting to notice a theme? If you’re trying to create green habits and a green lawn, consider swapping out your gas tools for electric or analog models.

#4 Focus on Native Plants

One of the simplest ways to create an eco-friendly lawn is to foster native grasses—or varieties that thrive in your climate without significant maintenance. Since most grasses native to Arizona don’t create the thick, lush lawns that homeowners love, turf experts recommend a bermudagrass hybrid that’s well-adapted to Arizona’s various climates, like Midiron.

Midiron offers a variety of benefits:

• It’s relatively drought-tolerant
• It recovers quickly from damage (e.g., foot traffic)
• It thrives at a variety of mowing heights (so it can be cut safely with just about any mower)

However, grass likely isn’t the only thing in your yard. To optimize eco-friendliness (and add more visual interest to your lawn), consider adding native plants like:

• Marsh aster
• Hedgehog cactus
• Ironwood trees
• Desert chicory

As an added bonus, keeping your lawn native is closely related to our next tip: keeping it local.

#5 Buy Native Sod from Local Businesses

With so many sod options on the market, one of the best ways to choose the best one is to consult an expert, like a local turf business. But why should you choose a local business over a big-box home improvement store or online grass seed supplier?

The biggest benefits of buying local include:

• Local ecosystem knowledge – Sod companies in your region know which species thrive under local conditions. They can help you choose a variety that has a high chance of survival in your neighborhood.
• Troubleshooting – If your lawn starts to wither six months after installation, a local supplier can make a house call. Local turf purveyors live in your neighborhood, too—they’re invested in the success of your yard.
• Environmental impact – A big box store or an online seed shop might need to send a semi-truck cross-country to deliver your product. You can reduce your footprint by ordering sod from your own ZIP code.

#6 Don’t Overseed in the Winter

Overseeding with a perennial species (like ryegrass) might enhance the aesthetics of your yard during the winter. But, to take root, these additional seeds require a lot of water.

Contending with cooler weather while committing to eco-friendliness means accepting that your lawn will go dormant—a natural process that might make your yard (temporarily) a little less vibrant. However, skipping overseeding and accepting nature’s seasonal cycle can reduce any potential negative impact a pristine year-round lawn can have.

#7 Fertilize Your Lawn with Compost

Plants can’t discern between organic fertilizers (food made from other naturally-derived sources) and “chemical” fertilizers (commercially-available synthetic compounds).

Most chemical fertilizers are safe to use. But why spend money on chemical fertilizers when you likely have everything you need to create nutritious plant food at home? Enter: composting.

You can start fertilizing with compost without taking a single trip to the hardware store:

1. Collect compostable scraps, like eggshells, fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and yard trimmings like dead grass and fallen leaves
2. Let everything decompose for a few weeks while it breaks down into soil-like matter
3. Sprinkle the compost around your lawn, as you would with a chemical fertilizer

#8 Test Your Soil

A soil test can provide critical information about your yard, like the pH of your soil (how acidic or alkaline it is), the nutrients present in (and missing from) your soil, and what nutrients are needed to achieve peak soil health.

All these data points can help you create a healthy environment where your sod (and other plants) can thrive. And, instead of experimenting with different methods (like additional watering or nonspecific fertilizer treatments) and hoping for positive outcomes, you can determine exactly what your yard needs to improve and take any necessary steps right away.

#9 Hand-Pull Your Weeds

If you’re trying to reduce the environmental impact of your lawn, it’s time to ditch the 2,4-D and don your weeding gloves. Pulling weeds by hand is significantly better for the environment than treating your yard with herbicide sprays.

While herbicides might kill your weeds, they don’t disappear from the ecosystem. And when they flow away with runoff, they have the potential to:

• Dissolve into the water supply
• Kill other healthy plants in the ecosystem
• Change the behavior or reproduction habits of fish, invertebrates, and amphibians

You can eliminate these possibilities by switching to manual weeding—your local flora and fauna will thank you.

Evergreen Turf: Keeping Arizona Green for Over 20 Years

Whether you’re looking to green-ify every element of your lawn care or phase in just a few eco-friendly tactics, it’s easy to make your yard maintenance routine a little more sustainable.

If you need expert landscaping advice or high-quality sod, turn to Evergreen Turf.

Since 1999, we’ve been supplying Arizona with elite, golf-quality turf that turns heads—and service that keeps homeowners and sports facility managers alike coming back. Browse our blog for more sod tips, or stop by our Chandler location to chat with a pro.

We can’t wait to see your yard flourish.

If you are a homeowner about to install new sod, there are several things that you should know that many homeowners wished they knew when they started. These tips will help you save a lot of time and money and at the same time keep your sod looking amazing just like those maintained by professionals. Keeping sod does not need to be difficult or expensive as long as you follow these simple and easy-to-do tips.

How much should I water new sod?

The riskiest time for sod is when it is just newly installed. This is particularly true in times and places where high temperatures are common such as those we experience here in Arizona. Summer days are among the most dangerous as they could lead to several patches of sod drying out and destroying the overall beauty of your sod.

The best time to water established lawns is either in the morning or the evening.  This is because if you water your lawn in the middle of the day when it’s very warm, the water will evaporate quickly.

For new sod that has been recently installed, we recommend watering 4-8 times a day for about 5-10 minutes each. You just need to do this for the first two weeks following installation and then you can cut down to watering once a day for about 15-45 minutes each. When the sod is properly established you can water your lawn 2-3 times a week for 10-25 minutes each time.

Related: Lawn Care – Sod Irrigation

This schedule changes during colder times such as winter (for overseeded sod) where you should water twice a day for 10-15 minutes for the first two weeks after installation and only once a day after that for 15-20 minutes each. For well-established lawns during the colder times, you should keep an eye on the weather since it will dictate the amount and frequency of watering.

The general rule of thumb here is that when you are experiencing hotter weather, you should water more frequently but when you are experiencing colder weather, you can water your sod less frequently.

You can make this easier for you by hiring professionals to take care of all the needs of your sod. You might have to dole out some cash but this way you will ensure that you remove the guesswork of taking care of your lawn and the risk of having patches of your lawn die or dry out.

When Should I Fertilize?

To get the best results for a healthy lawn, fertilizing should be done every 30 days. Just like humans, lawns need good nutrition to keep them free from weeds and disease. This will help them to thrive and look healthy. The best Nitrogen-Phosphate-Potassium (N-P-K) ratio of fertilizer we recommend is a 21-7-14 or 16-8-4.

Keeping a good fertilizing schedule is important because fertilizers nourish your lawn. Look at fertilizers as food for plants and when you give them an adequate amount of food, they will grow and take root properly, which will protect your lawn from extreme weather or temperatures as well as other stressors that the lawn might encounter. However, you should keep in mind that you might have to reassess your fertilizing schedule depending on the type of sod you are using since different varieties of sod have different needs. You should also consider the weather and season when planning your fertilizing schedule.

During springtime, you should consider having a fertilizing schedule for early spring and late spring. During early spring, plants are generally waking up from their hibernation during the winter. This means that they have expended much of their stored nutrients during this time and require more care. On the other hand, during late spring, your lawn needs all the help it can get to prepare for the coming stresses of summer and fall.

During the summer, in hotter areas like Arizona, your lawn is experiencing heavier stress because of the heat and bugs. Fertilizing during this time will help make sure that your lawn keeps healthy going into the fall.

Related: Lawn Care – Sod Nutrition

When fall comes, so will the opportunity to entertain guests and other outdoor entertainment. This is also the season when your lawn begins to prepare for another growth period. This means that your sod needs more nutrients to help keep it healthy and strong. However, this is also the best time for your sod to thrive since nature is giving you a hand. You will be experiencing more rainfall and cooler times during this time which will make taking care of your lawn easier.

If you want more information about when to fertilize your lawn, you can go to Evergreenturf.com and get expert advice on the best fertilizing schedule for your lawn.

How Long Does It Take New Sod to Root?

This is a difficult question to answer simply. Sod taking root generally has two stages: Formation of shallow roots and formation of deep roots. To get the best results, you should give sod the right care during these periods to ensure that your lawn thrives in the long term. Strong roots mean that sod becomes more resilient against any stressors that it might encounter.

Forming shallow roots can begin as early as two weeks. To help this process along, you should water your new lawn right after the sod is installed. After the first week of laying the sod, it is recommended that you water your sod daily to make the process quicker. You need to take particular care during this stage since this process is among the most sensitive times for the sod. Avoiding adding stress to your lawn during this time will help it grow and thrive in the future. You should minimize stepping on it or adding any kind of weight to allow it time to grow the roots it needs for the future.

Related: How Long Does it Take for Sod to Root

On the other hand, deep roots require that you water your sod less. This will encourage your lawn to develop deep roots. If done right, your sod will be able to develop deep roots in about 30-45 days. When this happens, it is a sign that your lawn is ready to face added pressure such as mowing and foot traffic.

Be sure to wait to mow your lawn for the first time after 48 hours or two days after watering to prevent damage to the grass blades. Also, set your mower to 3 inches. This is the optimum height for your lawn to keep healthy during this sensitive time.

To further encourage faster rooting, you can use a lawn roller right after the sod is installed. Rolling the sod carefully will allow the new sod and the topsoil to adhere faster and will also remove air pockets that will slow the growth rate of roots. You can also start fertilizing your lawn after six weeks of installation.

To help this process along, you should also prepare the soil where the sod will be placed. Most grass species thrive on acidic, well-drained soil. You can add Sulfur, Compost, and Lime to your soil before the installation of sod to prepare it. This will increase the chances of a fully healthy and great-looking lawn that will begin taking root in about two weeks.

If you need more information about preparing your soil, you can go to Evergreenturf.com and receive advice from experts in this industry. If you want to remove the guesswork when installing the best high-quality sod, we also offer installation for a reasonable price!

Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t Overwater before Installing New Sod

We know that getting new sod can be an exciting prospect and you want to do everything you can to make sure that the installation goes smoothly. You might be tempted to overwater your lawn thinking that it will help make the installation and growth go faster but this is more dangerous and might negatively affect a successful installation. Muddy grounds make working on it more difficult and can lead to poor sod growth. What you want here is to keep the lawn just moist but not soaked. Please see above for watering schedules that provide the moisture your sod needs and help you avoid overwatering.

Don’t Mow Too Soon

Mowing can cause severe damage to a newly installed sod. Do not mow your new sod lawn until about two weeks after installation. However, keep in mind that you must remove only 1/3 of the leaf blade to prevent scalping or damaging the new lawn. This means that you might have to mow your lawn more frequently or about every 3 days to reach the growing height that you want but we promise you it will be worth it.

Mowing a lawn depends on how quickly your sod is growing. There are some varieties and conditions that grow faster like Tiffgreen sod lawn where you might have to mow every 2-3 days as compared to midiron hybrid Bermuda sol lawn which needs to be mowed once every 7-19 days. This might require you to mow more often but as long as you remember the general rule “never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf” then you should be fine.

Related: Lawn Care – Mowing Sod

If you plan on mowing less often, you should also remember that you should keep your mowing height up and the fertility of your land down. Keeping your fertility low will slow the growth of your grass and the higher mowing height allows for more leeway for the grass to grow without it becoming cumbersome and remain looking crisp even with less frequent maintenance mowing. However, the best-looking lawns are those that follow these three things mow lower, fertilize frequently, and mow frequently. If you need more information about mowing, follow this link and read more https://www.evergreenturf.com/lawn-care/mowing.php

Another thing to keep in mind is when dealing with new sod, your first mowing should start when your sod has been established for one week. You will also have to cut back on watering the sod to keep the ground firm enough and not leave any marks when you mow. Follow the general rule that you should not remove more than 1/3 of the leaf and the mower blade must be sharp when mowing for the first time on newly installed sod. Keeping your lawnmower’s blade sharp will prevent pulling and leaving yellow scalped areas on the new lawn.

You should also start thinking of the lawnmowing equipment you plan to use on your lawn as early as you can. There are generally two types of mowing equipment, and both have their pros and cons. The first type of mowing equipment is the electric or gas reel mowers. These machines have typically 7 or 10 blades and are used to mow grass up to ¾ of an inch. They tend to cost more and require more maintenance, but they give a higher quality cut as compared to the rotary push mowers and can mow as low as 1/3 of an inch. They are recommended for any type of grass

On the other hand, rotary push mowers, or more commonly, push mowers, can be used to mow lawns between 3/4 to 3 inches. They are cheaper, hardier, and require less maintenance as compared to electric or gas reel mowers but they don’t produce as good as cut. They also can’t cut below ¾ of an inch which makes for a less crisp look to your lawn. However, they are ideal for Midiron, Paspalum, St. Augustine, and Celebration Bermudagrass variants.

Be Careful with Weed Control

Herbicides are substances that kill or prevent the growth of plants in an area. You can use them to keep your lawn safe from unwanted plants and weeds and keep your lawn looking amazing. There are several kinds of herbicides you can use and one of them is called post-emergent herbicides. These substances affect weeds after they have sprouted and established themselves on your lawn. On the other hand, there are herbicides called pre-emergent herbicides that are used before you can observe any signs of weeds.

Post-emergence herbicides can control existing weed growth and help prevent future ones but can be dangerous for certain kinds of plants and sod varieties so you must use the right kind of herbicides for your use. There is also a particular way you should be using them to work properly to keep the plants you want unaffected. Be sure to look into how they are used properly.

There are different kinds of post-emergent weed killers. They generally fall under systemic and contact herbicides.  Systemics are the most effective when used on perennial or long-time weeds since it goes directly into the plant for the best results. On the other hand, contact herbicides only kill the exposed portions of the plant and are effective on annuals or smaller weeds since killing the exposed parts would likely lead to the whole plant dying.

Knowing the right kind of herbicide to use can determine whether or not your efforts kill only the weeds and not affect the plants you want to be unaffected. This requires an understanding of the substance and its careful application.

Pre-emergent herbicides are generally more effective to control weeds before they have grown, while post-emergent herbicides can be used any time after the weeds have grown. Be careful though, as a lot of post-emergent herbicides could damage the lawn if used too much or applied at the wrong time. Always read the instructions on using herbicides before applying any kind of chemical to your sod grass lawns. You can learn more here https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/post-emergent-herbicides.htm.

Conclusion

Taking care of new sod can be easy as long as you know the basics of sod care. Many people don’t take the time and effort to learn this and as a result, they find a less than ideal looking patch of land. This costs them time, money, and effort when they simply could have done a little bit of research. These simple tips and tricks to take care of your newly installed lawn will be helpful to you as you begin your taking proper and active care of your lawn.

If you would rather remove the guesswork on your lawn care and choose to ask professionals for help, contact Evergreen Turf today. We have been in the industry since 1999, and we pride ourselves in being a locally owned and operated Arizona sod farm.

Here at Evergreen Turf, we get a lot of questions from people about home lawns and gardens. One question that is asked is, “What is the difference between grasses and weeds?”

Let’s look at an example of why this question gets asked. Let’s say you have a beautiful lawn that is comprised of St. Augustine sod. But then one day you see a few spots on your lawn where weeds are coming through. The species doesn’t look like the same type as the sod you use in your lawn, but it does look like grass. Upon further inspection, you determine that it’s bermudagrass.

You see, bermudagrass is a plant that, like St. Augustine sod, is commonly grown as turfgrass, but it also can be an invasive weed in certain situations. That’s why people ask what the difference is between grasses and weeds.

Related: Weed Control in St. Augustine Grass

The Primary Difference Between Weeds and Grass

The first thing you should know is that weeds are a general term for plants that grow in unwanted areas in a lawn or garden. This means that any plant you don’t want growing in your lawn or garden is a weed. Weeds come in different shapes and sizes, and many different types of plants including flowers and invasive grass species can be considered weeds.

There are two main categories of weeds—broadleaf weeds (dicots) and grassy weeds (monocots). Broadleaf weed examples are purslane, spurge, and dandelions. Grassy weed examples are crabgrass, goosegrass, and the hard to kill nutsedges.

On the other hand, grass is simply a category of plants. Scientists refer to them as belonging to the Poaceae family of plants. You can easily distinguish grass from other plants by their tender green stems compared to other plants that have woody stems that sprout out branches and from those branches, sprout out the leaves and flowers.

According to Britannica, “With more than 10,000 species, the grass family, Poaceae, is one of the largest families of flowering plants. Its members are monocotyledons and feature leaves with parallel veins; the flowers are usually wind-pollinated. Many grasses are cultivated as ornamental plants and for lawns, and several are staple cereal crops.” Check out their list of some of the major species in this family, which include Bermuda grass, Rye and others popularly used as grass for home lawns.

If you’re looking for grass for your home lawn, check out our varieties of sod that grow well in Arizona, including Midiron, Tifway 419, Tifgreen 328, TifGrand, Palmetto St. Augustine, and TifTuf. See a description of each one and order now on our website.

So now you know that grass is generally a specific plant from the plant kingdom and weeds are a general term for plants that grow where you don’t want them to grow.

Fun Facts About Grass

As we have mentioned, there are over 10,000 named species of grass. But did you know that they are also an important part of human life, primarily as a food source? You might be surprised to know that rice, wheat, and other grains are part of this family, as is bamboo.

Grass also cools the general surroundings safely and naturally and improves the air quality around your house. You should also know that a well-kept lawn generally increases the value of a home by upwards of 10%. If you plan to get more value out of your home, you should consider installing a sod lawn.

How to Prevent & Get Rid of Unwanted Weeds in Your Lawn and Garden

Weeds are a nuisance because they disrupt the general beauty and appeal of a well-curated lawn and garden. If not dealt with and removed properly, they can embed themselves firmly and eventually cause damage to your lawn or garden as they grow.

Your first defense against weeds in your sod grass is a healthy lawn. Fertility, irrigation, and consistent mowing are necessary for a thick dense lawn. Thick dense sod will keep weeds from ever getting started in your lawn. Any time your lawn becomes thin or stressed, the sod will begin to lose density and allow room for competition. Weed seeds are opportunistic, sitting idly by until given a little room and a little sunlight to allow them to start growing.

Weeds reproduce primarily from seed. Because most weeds are very prolific seed producers, there is usually an abundance of weed seed in any lawn just waiting for the right conditions to begin growing and competing with your lawn for space. Some weeds however, such as common bermudagrass, reproduce from runners that can grow above ground or below ground. The runners start new plants at intervals, sending down roots and then shoots, potentially taking over an entire area very quickly.

Weed control can be accomplished in two ways;

1. pre-emergently (before the seeds germinate) or
2. post-emergently (after the weeds have sprouted and emerged from the ground).

Applications of pre-emergent herbicides must be timed before conditions are right for the weeds to begin germinating. Post-emergent herbicides can be applied anytime after the weeds have emerged, but the younger the weeds the more effective the herbicides will be. Many post-emergent herbicides can damage your lawn if applied at the wrong rate or the wrong time. Please read the directions carefully before applying any chemicals to your sod grass lawn.

For more information on how to properly care for your sod lawn, check out our lawn care section of our website.

To purchase sod in Phoenix and Tucson, check out our sod varieties and order now.

“What is the best drought tolerant grass?” is a common question that Arizona homeowners ask us here at Evergreen Turf. We break that question down for you in this post by listing six of the most popular varieties of sod and ranking them according to their performance.

Here at Evergreen Turf, we offer homeowners the choice of six varieties of sod that are drought tolerant. Each one has adapted to the dry, humid, and hot climate of Arizona to varying degrees. Here’s our ranking of each of the sod types to determine which ones are most tolerant to drought conditions.

#1 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: TifTuf

Our staff rated TifTuf as the best drought tolerant grass when compared to other varieties of bermudagrasses. It stays greener longer and uses less water without the need for continual irrigation. The unique physiological characteristics of this grass make these impressive features possible. Here are several other features you will enjoy when you purchase TifTuf drought tolerant grass:

• Excellent heat resistance, drought recovery, disease and insect resistance, and wear recovery
• Good wear tolerance, weed resistance, drought tolerance, and cold tolerance

The Tif Tuf leaf blade produces a fine texture and dark green appearance. This grass can handle continual sun exposure, and you should not allow the blades to grow longer than one and one-half inches before mowing it.

#2 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: Tifway 419 Bermuda

Homeowners plant this type of grass more often than any other type in Arizona. Our staff rates it as very good because of its fine blades and density. Tifway 419 Bermuda grass is rapid spreading, which allows it to rebound quickly from injury. You will not harm this grass with close mowing, and it has the capacity to ward off most disease. Other prominent features of Tifway 419 Bermuda grass include:

• Excellent insect resistance, drought recovery, and heat tolerance
• Good wear, cold, and drought tolerance
• Good weed resistance

#3 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: Midiron

Midiron is the most widely use type of turfgrass in Arizona because it is easy to maintain and attractive. This grass is blue-green in color and its leaf has medium coarse texture. One of the biggest benefits of midiron grass is that it transitions well from summer to winter weather conditions. You can over-seed a lawn containing Midiron turf without worrying about damaging it. The best equipment to use when mowing Midiron turf are a sharp rotary mower or a reel mower.

If you choose this type of sod for your home or business, keep in mind that it needs near-constant sun exposure due to its poor shade tolerance. You should plan to mow the lawn when your Midiron turf grows to a height of three-quarters of an inch to one and one-half inches.

#4 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: Tifgreen 328

The manufacturers of Tifgreen 328 sod originally created it for golf courses. However, anyone who wants brightly-colored green grass with a fine texture can purchase and install this type of sod. Tifgreen 328 provides a highly manicured appearance, which can help businesses display a more professional aesthetic. Although you can mow Tifgreen 328 with a sharp rotary mower without damaging it, a reel mower will provide you with the best results.

This type of sod has average damage recovery and drought tolerance. Like Midiron sod, Tifgreen 328 has poor shade tolerance and must receive direct sunlight most of the time. You should not let the blades grow to more than three-quarters of an inch before mowing.

Related: All About Hybrid Bermuda Grass

#5 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: TifGrand

Although the drought tolerance of TifGrand is lower than many other types of sod, its shade tolerance is one of the highest. You can expect excellent blade growth even if your TifGrand sod gets just four to five hours of direct sunlight each day. The color of this type of grass is dark green, and its blades have a fine texture.

Our lawn care experts recommend using a sharp rotary or reel motor when mowing your TifGrand grass. The ideal mowing height falls between one-half to one and one-half inches.

#6 Best Drought Tolerant Grass: Palmetto St. Augustine

As with TifGrand and TifGreen 328, Evergreen Turf gives Palmetto St. Augustine sod a drought tolerance rating of fair. This type of sod is one of our best performers when it comes to growth when exposed to shady conditions. Palmetto St. Augustine also thrives when exposed to bright, sunny conditions and is the most resistant to heat among the five other types.

This sod creates an attractive semi-dwarf coarse texture and produces soft leaves. Be sure not to overseed your Palmetto St. Augustine grass in the winter and cut it with a sharp rotary mower.

Other Considerations When Purchasing New Sod

The level of resistance to drought is an important consideration when installing new sod, but it is not the only thing you need to think about. For example, you need to choose a type of sod with a quick recovery time if your lawn normally sees a lot of foot traffic. The amount of shade your lawn will receive is another important consideration. Some types of sod do well in either sun or shade, while others require nearly constant exposure to the sun to grow and remain healthy.

We also recommend that you consider the make-up of your soil and whether it contains a lot of salt. Some types of sod need more fertilization, watering, and other types of regular care, so be sure to evaluate how much time you have to devote to lawn care before selecting your sod.

We Are Always Available to Help Arizona Homeowners with Their Lawncare Needs

Whether you need help choosing a type of sod, advice on lawn care, installation tips, or managing the lawn care needs of your business, Evergreen Turf is here for you. Please contact us at 480-456-1119 with additional questions. You may also use this form to contact us today.

In a perfect world, dead grass would just come back to life and start growing again. However, that is not the way it works. So if you’re looking at your brown lawn and wondering, “Will dead grass grow back?” Here is your answer:

Dead grass will not grow back; you will need to buy fresh sod to make your lawn look good again. That being said – there is a difference between dormant and dead grass. If your grass is dormant it will come back; it’s just not growing during a particular season.  

To check if your grass is dormant or dead, it helps to know the type of grass you have. Bermuda grass, like Midiron for example, is a type of grass that goes dormant in the winter. When grass is dormant, you can tell because it will usually pull out easily. It’s also important to check the roots—white roots are good and live, while black roots indicate the grass is dead or dying.

What are the Main Causes of Patchy Grass?

Patchy grass can result from either dead or dormant grass. If your entire lawn is dead, you will need to remove the dead grass, prep the soil, and lay new sod.

When your whole lawn is the same brown color, the grass may be dormant. Cool-season grasses will go dormant in the summer when the sun produces prolonged periods of hot temperatures, while warm-season grasses will go dormant during the winter. In these cases, the grass is still alive and will come back to life and return to a beautiful hue when its intended season returns.

If your lawn is green in some areas and brown in others, you might be dealing with dead patches in the lawn but not an entirely dead lawn. To fix dead patches, rake out the dead area gingerly, fertilize it, and water it; eventually, it should come back.

Should You Sprinkle Seed to Fix Patches of Dead Grass?

This is a common question. The answer is that you do not need to buy seed and sprinkle it on your lawn. If you do decide to seed, you need to know which type of grass you have. Many grasses are hybrid, which means they do not produce seeds. The exception to this rule is winter (cool season) sod; seed sprinkling would work for winter sod because these grasses (fescue, for example) do have seeds.

Instead of seeding, you might consider buying small patches of sod to fix dead patches. If you sprinkle seed on dead patches and you don’t know why type of sod you have, you will end up with a non-uniform lawn texture and appearance.

What Are Some Ways to Grow Grass in Arizona?

If you want your grass to remain green year-round regardless of the temperature, you can plant a mixture of cool- and warm-season grasses. This process is called overseeding. Overseeding enables your lawn to grow thicker, produce a better color, and have greater resistance to pests and the elements because there’s more seed-to-soil contact. Overseeding for a winter lawn should begin around October in Arizona. Conversely, your summer lawn prep should begin in the late spring or early summer.

Scalping for Early Summer Grass

In the late spring or early summer, you should scalp your lawn to get rid of the dead tissue that builds up on the sod over time. In doing so, you will give way for new tissue to come in. Once you have scalped your lawn, give it a little food because that is what it will need to grow. There are wrong and right ways to transition your Arizona sod lawn in the springtime. For example, the type of fertilizer you choose matters, as does the ongoing temperature. Be sure to read up on the type of grass you have and the appropriate steps for transitioning your lawn in the spring or fall before you set to work on your lawncare plan.

So there you have it. We hope this article has helped answer your questions about dead grass growing back.

At Evergreen Turf, we are proud to be Arizona’s lawncare experts. We invite you to stop by our location in Chandler, Arizona if you have questions or need help ensuring your lawn is as beautiful and bountiful as it can possibly be. If you have a dead lawn, we can help you choose the right grass for your unique home or office property.

A question we get asked frequently around here is…

“How often should I fertilize Bermuda grass?”

It’s a great question and knowing the answer will help ensure that you have the healthiest lawn possible; one that thrives through the warm months of the year.

So here is your answer:

You should fertilize your Bermuda grass about once a month in the spring using a quick-release, complete fertilizer Once your lawn is fully green and dense, you can switch to a slow-release fertilizer. This will slow the growth of your lawn, so it doesn’t become overgrown.

It’s important to switch to a slow-release fertilizer once your lawn is dense, so that you won’t get a lot of growth. This ensures you’re caring for your lawn in the most efficient manner.

We have several other articles related to the topic of Bermuda grass, including midiron, and fertilizer on our site. Here’s a round-up of those articles, in case you’re still curious or have some other questions.

Other Helpful Articles

How To Get Rid of Weeds – This article describes the most common weeds in Arizona and how to eliminate them from your lawn.

Effects of Over-fertilizing – This article explains how you can accidentally over-fertilize your lawn. It also tells you how to repair an over fertilized lawn.

Can I Fertilize My Lawn in the Summer – This article answers that question and gives additional fertilization tips.

Best Fertilizer for Bermuda Grass – This article goes into detail on which fertilizer is best to use on your Bermuda sod, depending on the time of year and the maturity stage of your lawn.

Common Lawncare Mistakes and How to Avoid Them – This article helps you avoid the most common lawn care mistakes that homeowners make.

Best Time of Year to Aerate Your Bermuda Grass Lawn – This article explains the process of aerating your lawn, why it is important, and when is the best time of year to do so.

About Evergreen Turf

Here at Evergreen Turf, we pride ourselves on being your go-to source for sod in Arizona. Whether you just need tips on how to keep your lawn healthy year-round or you need to purchase sod from us, we have you covered. We even offer installation of our sod products, so you don’t have to worry about installing it yourself.

Not sure which type of sod is right for your lawn? Take our quiz to help you select which variety of sod is suited for your unique conditions. For all things related to lawn care, be sure to check out our lawn care section on our website, which covers everything from irrigation and mowing to nutrition, insect control and fall over-seeding.

If you have any other questions about Arizona sod, whether it has to do with fertilizing your Bermuda sod or anything else, contact our team today and let us know how we can help you. You can also ask us questions or just say hi on our Facebook page!

Summer is a time to spend outside with friends. It means big BBQs, lawn games, and probably a few four-legged furry friends who want to get in on some of the action. Unfortunately, heavy foot traffic is not ideal for a healthy sod lawn. If you plan to throw outdoor parties this summer, here are some tips on how to keep your lawn beautiful while avoiding damage to your sod.

Make Friends with Mulch

Mulch is a great space filler when summer fun ensues. It’s decorative, easy to buy in large batches, and can be spread across large areas. It’s also multi-useful, acting as a beautifier, boundary space, and safety element.

Put mulch or small gravel under jungle gyms and swing sets so you don’t have to worry about bare spots forming in your lawn.

Move Large Items That Rest on your Sod Lawn

If you keep large items in one place for too long, the grass underneath will become deprived of oxygen and nutrients, causing it to turn sickly yellow or brown in the shape of the object that was over it. When your lawn has large, heavy items on it, be sure to move them to a new location every other day to keep the grass beneath it from suffering.

Example item might include:

• Corn hole game and other lawn games
• Kiddie pools
• Slip ‘N Slides
• Bounce castles
• Jungle gyms (if they’re light enough to move)
• Trampolines

Create a Safe Space for Your Flower Beds

When the good times get going, your guests can easily overlook the stunning flowers you’ve spent so much time working to procure into perfect petals. It would be a shame to see someone trample on them because they didn’t realize there was a don’t-walk space directly beneath their feet.

To prevent this mishap, add a decorative fence around your flower bed. This is an awesome opportunity to take your gardening creativity to a new level. This might be the perfect time to install a river rock dry creek, adding an aesthetic element to your outside space.

Place Your Paths Strategically

You can influence the routes your guests take when they walk on the lawn by carefully placing your patio furniture, grill, and games in a manner that necessitates minimal foot traffic on your lawn. If you have a gazebo or meeting space that’s a bit further away from your house, install stepping stones to add an appealing path that will guide your guests from here to there, while protecting the surrounding grass from incurring foot traffic.

If you need extra sod to fix damaged areas on your lawn, or are looking for a brand new sod lawn, stop by Evergreen Turf and let us get you ready for your next outdoor party today!

Arizona is known for its native desert soil. If you’ve ever tried to grow a lush, green lawn in Phoenix or Tucson, there are certain challenges that are quite unique to the climate and soil in the Southwest.

What’s the issue with soil in Arizona?

Native desert soil doesn’t store water very well, which can cause the sod to dry out very easily. Naturally, we don’t see a lot of rainfall in this part of the country, which means you have to be diligent about adhering to a watering schedule that’s right for your chosen type of grass during each phase of its growth, paying attention to the temperatures and time of year as each season progresses. Native desert soil is also comprised of few nutrients and can’t accumulate the nutrients it does receive very well.

Another difficulty with Arizona soil is the fact that it lacks the microorganisms that live in good soil. Microorganisms are essential for a healthy lawn, as they help feed the grass’s roots and keep everything beneath the surface alive and well.

How to Improve Native Soil so You Can Plant a Healthy Sod Lawn

Fortunately, the difficulties that come with native Arizona soil can easily be overcome with a little bit of lawn care due diligence.

1. Till your soil. To begin, till your soil down to a depth of about six to eight inches. During this time, you can work in some compost as you go, helping to replace vital nutrients the soil will need to sustain your sod.

2. Remove weeds. As everyone knows, weeds are a problem. They take the vitamins, mineral, and water away from your lawn’s roots and keep it for themselves. If you can remove weeds as you’re prepping your soil, you’ll set yourself up for greater success in the long run.

3. Mix in top soil. Top soil, or soil amendment, is formulated with special ingredients to help your lawn grow. This step will provide your grass the opportunity to form a deep root system. In other words, your lawn will be stronger because the foundation will be firmly in the ground and fit to create a green landscape.

Now your soil is ready for sod! Of course, you don’t want to pick just any sod. It’s important to look for a grass that will grow well in the conditions your property provides, taking into account how much shade the sod will receive, how much care you’ll be able to provide, and which type of equipment you’ll be using to keep it trimmed. Not sure which type of sod is best for you? Use our Lawn Selector tool to drill down on blades of grass that’ll give you the optimal outcome.

Evergreen Turf is Arizona’s place for beautiful lawns. If you’re in need of sod, contact our team. We’ll deliver your sod right to your home. We also offer installation, or you can choose to install it yourself.

Welcome to late spring in Arizona! The temperatures are quickly rising, and – if you haven’t already done so – it’s time to transition your lawn from winter to summer sod. Arizona’s climate is a special place, and the care your lawn needs is specific to our region. What works for other parts of the country simply isn’t applicable for a high-desert area, so to help you transition to your summer lawn, we’ve compiled a few tips.

Mid- to Late Spring: Proper Temperatures

In Arizona, transitioning from winter to summer sod usually starts when temperatures hit 95 to 100 degrees on a regular basis. When the thermometer begins to approach triple digits on a regular basis, rye wilts out, and Bermuda grass tries to grow.

At this phase, the first step is to lower the blades on your mower. By lowering your mowing height, you’ll give Bermuda the room it needs to grow.

Early to Mid-Summer: Dethatching

You should dethatch your lawn early to mid-summer. It’s important to wait until the Bermuda grass is ready to grow. If you dethatch too early, the process will discourage the rye grass from growing. Be mindful that dethatching can stress your lawn out a bit, so it’s important to take care of it throughout the process.

Alternatively, you can dethatch in mid-August when Bermuda grass is growing like crazy because it’s had all summer to become strong and healthy. If you wait until late summer, it will recover very quickly.

Early May: Fertilizing

You’ll want to use a complete fertilizer. Around May 1st, put your fertilizer out at half-rate. If you use full-rate fertilizer this early, the rye grass will grow too much. Although this may sound ideal, it’s not a good thing. You can use full-rate fertilizer in June when the Bermuda grass is really growing.

Throughout the Process: Watering

Your grass needs water throughout the transition process, but your lawn needs different amounts at distinct phases in the process. Be mindful that when it gets hot, your lawn will get spots as part of the transition process. Don’t overreact by over-watering. Instead, you simply need to hand-water your lawn just enough to nurture the brown spots away. If you water every two to three days, this should do the trick.

Are you ready to transition your Arizona lawn from winter to summer grass, but you’re not sure where to start? Our team at Evergreen Turf is here to help! Look at our How to Install Sod page, and feel free to reach out to us at 480.456.1199 if you have any questions!

It’s that time of year again…time for the Arizona Cardinals training camp which includes 18 practices and two preseason home games going on now through August 24. It’s free and open to the public, giving Cardinals fans the opportunity to watch the pro football players practice on the NFL’s top grass field, according to player surveys.

The field is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s made up of 19 million pounds of soil, sand, water and Bermuda grass. And in order to make it transportable, it’s placed in a movable barge that can be rolled in and out of University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on 500 steel wheels.

The unique technology on the Cardinals field has allowed it to withstand 10 annual home games, high-school title games, soccer, the Fiesta Bowl, two national championship college games and one Super Bowl over 8 seasons. What’s more, the fact that the field can roll out has allowed dozens of other events to take place inside the stadium without any damage done to this valuable field.

The Cardinals will be enjoying this training camp for the second time on this field, a marked change from the original training camp location in Flagstaff, Arizona. And according to Arizona Central, the Cardinals vice president of operations, John Drum has gone on record saying that the turf technology at the stadium has worked “flawlessly.”

In fact, the surface is softer and more stable than standard outdoor fields, which actually reduces player injuries. The only other field that comes close to the Cardinals field in North America is the Houston Texans field, but even that field has its sod grown in 8×8 pallets that are installed with forklifts.

So who is responsible for creating this original playing field that is considered to be the best in the country? None other than Evergreen Turf.

Jimmy Fox says, “This turf technology combines a soil and sand base with synthetic fibers that help the grass roots bind tightly together.”

The watering technique is unique as well, with the water applied under the sod in order for the roots to grow deeper into the sand. As for mowing, the field is typically cut to a half-inch.

The type of sod used on the Cardinals field is called Tifway 419. It’s known for its resilience to wear and tear as well as fluctuations in temperature.

Fox says, “The field does go into shock each time it’s rolled in or out of the stadium, with temperatures dropping from more than 105 degrees in full sunlight to 65 degrees in the shade.”

He added, “It grows slower indoors, just like in winter time, and takes three or four days to start growing again once it is rolled back into the heat.”

New sod is scheduled to be installed on the field around December, just before the Fiesta Bowl.

To check the practice schedule and get more information on attending the training games, visit www.azcardinals.com. Visit AZ Central to view the Evergreen Turf article on the Cardinals field..