Growing Winter Grass in Arizona!
In Phoenix, during summer, bermuda grass grows like a weed and you will have a nice green lawn. But if you want green lawn in your yard during the coming winter months, early October is the best time to switch your summer lawn to a cool weather grass by overseeding Rye grass seeds.
You need to plant your Rye grass seeds at the optimal time because if you don’t and plant either too early or too late, you risk poor performance from your Rye grass.
Ideally, you want to pick a date when nighttime temperatures reach about 55° F and daytime temperatures are between 80-85°F. This usually occurs around the third week of October.
Once you select your planting date, follow these steps and you will have healty and strong winter lawn:
25 days before your planting date
Stop applying fertilizer (especially ones high in nitrogen). We don’t want to encourage any more bermuda grass growth. However, to maintain color you can still apply iron (liquid form is recommended).
10 days before planting date
Decrease watering. Either skip every third day of irrigation or cut each watering cycle by 2/3. If grass shows signs of heat stress, increase water. Increase mowing height by 35% and maintain regular mowing schedule at this new height. For example, if you regularly maintain your lawn 1”, you need to raise your new mowing height to about 1 1/3″.
3 days before planting
Mow your lawn by removing between 40-50% of your grass height. You may need to do this in multiple cuttings by lowering your mower height after each pass. Doing this should leave an upright shoot (stolon) with two lower leaves on it. Remove all the clippings and shut off the water.
1 day before planting
Take a spring tine rake and lightly rake the groundscratch up the little thatch you may have. You need the rye seed to be able to reach the soil.
On planting day
Spread your rye grass at a rate of 10-15 lbs per 1000 square feet of yard. For good coverage divide your seed in two lots and apply them in perpendicular directions.
After application, it’s wise to rake the ground to ensure seed to soil contact. Applying a 1/4 inch of mulch is advised to protect the new seedlings from adverse moisture and temperature conditions. Set your sprinklers to run 3-4 times a day at 10-12 minutes. Maintain this water cycle until grass has germinated and has grown to about an inch. Then you can reduce the watering to once a day. Don’t let the soil dry out. Maintain soil moisture!
14 days after planting
Apply a starter fertilizer such as ammonium phosphate (16-20-0) at rate of 7-10 lbs per 1000 sq/ft. Make sure to water in the fertilizer.
Enjoy your new winter lawn!
Imp Note: if you have recently installed a new bermuda lawn within 100 days of your planting date, it’s advised that you don’t overseed your new lawn with rye grass. You want to encourage unimpeded bermuda growth to ensure strong root (rhizome) development.
