Oct
In Arizona, Fall is our second Spring and our family loves to be outside and enjoy the entire season as much as we can. For me, this means I want a lush green lawn. If you are like me and live in a warmer climate, chances are you have a type of Bermuda grass growing in your yard which will go dormant and turn brown throughout the fall and winter months. Luckily, even though your normal lawn goes dormant and brown for this season, you can overseed with winter rye and have the softest, greenest lawn for your family to enjoy all winter long.
In order to achieve this beautiful green carpet, there are a few things that must be done. By following these steps, you can have a healthy green lawn from October through April until your Bermuda wakes up again.
Scalp
To ensure that your new seed is not competing with your summer lawn, your Bermuda grass will need to be mowed down close to the ground to provide the best chance for new seed to germinate and grow. Once nighttime temperatures fall below 65 degrees, scalp your lawn by lowering your mower blades to between ¼” and ½” and mow until all green is removed. Dispose of all clippings and if necessary rake up remaining clippings to be sure all thatch is removed. Your lawn will appear bare and brown.
Dethatch
To rid your lawn of all the dead clippings and grass that accumulate throughout the year, it is a good idea to dethatch your lawn once a year. You can rent dethatchers or purchase them. We purchased the Sun Joe AJ801E 13 in. 12 Amp Electric Scarifier + Lawn Dethatcher w/Collection Bag. It is light and easy to handle and does an amazing job on our lawn. We decided it was a more economical choice for us to purchase rather than rent each year. Disclosure: This post uses affiliate links for products we use at our farm. See our disclosure and privacy policies for additional information.
Aerate
Another thing you may want to consider periodically is aerating your lawn. Aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots. This helps the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, more vigorous lawn. The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction.
It is recommended that you perform this task every one to three years depending on the denseness of your grass and the compactness of your soil. If you have dense grass and/or heavy traffic areas and/or the presence of clay in your soil, you should aerate on a regular basis- once a year. You can rent aerators at Home Depot and many other equipment rental stores.
Seed
Choose a good, quality perennial ryegrass seed Pennington Smart Seed Perennial Rye Grass Seed that is suited to your climate. (note: in our climate, even though this seed is a perennial grass for us, it will not return the following year. It must be re-seeded each Fall.) Decide how lush you want your lawn to be and the typical height you prefer. The amount of seed you need will be dependent upon these factors.
- Home Lawn 1”-2” height- 12 pounds per 1,000 square feet
- Home Lawn ½”-1” height- 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet
Using a seed spreader Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader, spread your seed in two directions to achieve complete and even coverage. It is important to spread as evenly as possible to avoid clumping or voids. Begin by spreading half of the seed in one direction and then the other half in a direction perpendicular to the first, making sure to minimize overlap as you pass each way.
Once you have spread seed, you will need to protect it from birds who will flock to your freshly seeded lawn. Staking helium-filled Mylar balloons throughout your lawn will be a surprisingly helpful deterrent to hungry birds and will help you achieve maximum germination.
Feed
After seed is spread, apply a thin layer of fertilizer over the entire area to feed and nourish the seeds and soil. The optimal fertilizer is an even 15-15-15 mix, meaning that it is equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application.
Water
As soon as you have completed these steps, turn on water to begin the germination process. It is critical that you don’t let your seedbed dry out from the time of application until your seed has germinated and grown to a height of ¾” to 1”. To maintain this, you will need to water 4 to 5 times a day in short cycles that wet the entire area, but does not leave puddles or dry spots. Once your grass has grown to the height mentioned above, you can reduce watering to 2-3 times per day. After 10-14 days, you can reduce watering to once per day. Further reduce watering to every other day or every three days or longer throughout the winter once the lawn is established. It is a better practice to water more deeply and less frequently throughout the year to promote deep root growth and conserve water.
Mow
10-14 days after germination it is time to mow your lawn. At this time, mow only 30% of the height of your new lawn to prevent pulling out the tender seedlings. Once your new lawn is established, you can follow your normal routine for mowing.
Feed regularly
Just like your summer lawn, you will need to fertilize your winter lawn every 8 weeks. We like to use Milorganite Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer. Feeding your lawn will ensure a rich soil and enrich the plush coverage that you can enjoy throughout the season!
