Summer is in full swing, and that means your lawn is being inundated with high levels of heat and direct sunshine. No matter how much effort you put forth into making sure your Arizona sod lawn stays green, your efforts will all be for not if you don’t understand the proper way to care for your grass. Sure, you could hire an expensive landscaping company. Or, you could take some time to check out these DIY tips that’ll help give you that emerald green look you’re going for.

With this in mind, here are a few tricks to check out:

1. Mow High

You want to leave about three inches of blade when you mow, so put your lawn mower on a high setting. Why? Because taller blades give your lawn’s root system more shade, which helps keep it cool during those hot summer days. Additionally, taller blades tend to grow deeper, stronger root systems. Learn more about the ideal height to cut grass.

2. Learn When and How Much to Water

Watering too lightly can prevent your lawn’s roots from being fully saturated. On the other hand, watering too frequently can drown the roots and prevent your grass from growing. Another thing to think about—if you water your lawn too late in the day, you could risk having too much of the water evaporate before it’s able to find its way to the roots of your sod grass, especially with the soaring temperatures during summer in Phoenix and Tucson.

Water the lawn deeply in the morning hours two to three times each week. That will allow it to get about two inches of water weekly, which should help keep it green. Early in the morning is a great time to water, ensuring your lawn has enough moisture throughout the day. This helps prevent fungal diseases, too.

3. Prevent Water Run-Off

If you see water trickling off your lawn and onto your walkways, it’s a sign that you’re watering too heavily in such a way that the soil has become saturated. If this is happening, switch to watering steadily and slowly, and if you start to notice more run-off, move the sprinkler to a different area.

4. Water the Lawn, Not the Path

This seems obvious on paper, but rest assured, there are lots of homeowners who water their sidewalks and the moisture never hits the green stuff that needs the attention.

If your sprinkler system isn’t set up for your lawn’s shape and size, you could be one of these people, too. Sprinklers are great for helping ensure you’re watering the right spots and limiting wasted water, but check with professionals to make sure you’ve got the right set up for your lawn’s needs.

5. Maintain Your Mower

A poorly maintained mower will harm your lawn. Be sure you’re regularly sharpening the blades of your mower and changing the filter, oil, and spark plugs often. Dull mower blades will tear the grass, rather than cut it, leaving brown tips in their wake.

6. Repair Pet Spots with Professional Solutions

Everybody loves a furry friend, but the waste left by pets can wreak havoc on a lawn. If you’re seeing brown spots marking your lawn, they might be caused by Fido. If this sounds like you, look for a lawn repair kit that can help you regrow these brown spots before further harm ensues. At the very least, after your dog does his or her business, you can pick up solid waste and spray the area with some water to dilute the urine.

Related: Tips for Landscaping with Dogs

7. Feed Your Lawn

Your lawn is a living thing. As such, it requires nourishment to stay healthy. Apply a slow-release fertilizer to provide the kinds of nutrients that’ll protect your lawn from burning. It takes around six to eight weeks for the elements in the soil to absorb and process nutrients. This means you need to fertilize your lawn at regular intervals so you can replenish nutrients before your lawn is starving for more.

8. Remove Lawn Clippings

Be careful not to leave lawn clippings in thick clumps because this can lead to the formation of mold, especially when you water it. Always rake up clippings or use a mower that can sweep them up as the lawn is being cut.

9. Aerate

Lawns need oxygen just like they need water, so it’s important to keep your lawn aerated. Aeration perforates the soil at various intervals, alleviating compaction and allowing water, air, and nutrients to penetrate deep into the surface. Depending on the size of your lawn, you can use a garden fork or an aerating machine to achieve this.

10. Be Diligent About Weed Removal

Take care of weeds early and often, instead of putting weed killer on the entire lawn all at once. Pull weeds or using a weeding fork on a regular basis. If your area is large, try “painting” weed killer onto the affected area.

11. Try a Different Variety of Grass

It’s possible that your turf may not be the best solution for your region or the amount of sun and shade your yard gets. Some turf naturally becomes stressed when it’s exposed to hot temperatures. If this is the case, talk to our team at Evergreen Turf to see if there’s a better solution for your lawn needs.

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.

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.