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Fall Yard Maintenance
With cooler temperatures approaching, you may be thinking of overseeding your lawn. All hybrid bermudas are warm season grasses, meaning they will flourish in the hottest months of the year and go dormant in the winter. Overseeding is the best and only way to keep your lawn green in the cold winter months. We have comprised a list of easy to follow instructions to help you get started.

Overseeding

• Ideal temperature for overseeding is a consistent 65 degrees at night, usually the first weeks of October. Watch your local news weather forecast or log on to AZMET to find out nightly temperatures, you want the temperature to be at least 65 degrees for one week. This will ensure you won’t plant too early.
• Prior to scalping your lawn, check the thatch. If there is more than 1/2” of thatch you may need to power rake your lawn. A power rake will quickly loosen and rake the thatch, thus creating an open canopy ideal for seed / soil contact. If there is less than 1/2” of thatch, simply stop mowing for at least one week prior to overseeding to truly scalp your lawn. Begin by lowering the mowing height to 1/2”, then mow in two directions. If you have done this correctly, your lawn will look like tiny bamboo shoots, very coarse and yellow looking. It may take 2 to 3 mowings to accomplish this. Now you are ready for seed.
• There are two types of rye grass available for overseeding, Annual and Perennial. Annual ryegrass tends to grow more quickly so, you may have to mow more frequently. Among it’s characteristics are a light green color and a wider leaf texture. Generally Annual ryegrass is less costly than Perennial ryegrass. Perennial ryegrass is darker in color and has a finer leaf texture with a more dense growth pattern. Perennial ryegrass is most commonly used on sports fields.
• Seeding rates for both Annual and Perennial ryegrass are approximately 10 to 20 pounds per 1000 square feet. Depending on your grass height and density preference, the amount of seed necessary will vary. Use this chart to help you determine the look you would like to achieve:

• Use a spreader to get more even results. Using a clock as an example, begin spreading seed from 12 to 6, ; 9 to 3, ; 2 to 8, and finally 10 to 4. This will ensure even coverage of the entire lawn. If you overlap too much, your lawn will have thick stripes. If you don’t overlap, your lawn will have very thin yellow sections. Prior to watering, be sure to apply a starter fertilizer with either a 16-20-20 or 15-15-15 ratio.
• Keep the lawn consistently moist for the first 7 to 10 days. You may want to lightly, but evenly cover the ground with mulch to help retain moisture. Cover at approximately 1/8” to 1/4” thickness. Water 4 to 5 times daily for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Be sure to check your water coverage, you don’t want any puddles or dry areas. Once your ryegrass is at a height of 3/4” to 1” reduce your watering to 2 to 3 times per day. Following the first 10 to 14 days after seeding, gradually decrease watering to once per day. In the coldest months it is only necessary to water once every other day. Keep in mind, as the temperatures begin to rise in the spring time, it may be necessary to water every night.
• The first mowing can be done after the first 10 to 14 days. Be sure to follow the 1/3 rule, that is, don’t remove more than 1/3 of the green stem. Mowing any shorter could uproot the delicate new plant. The first cut will be an approximate height of 1/2” to 1”. If you prefer to keep your grass at a longer height, you may want to wait 14 to 21 days before mowing.
• Your winter lawn will require proper fertilization as with your summer lawn. We recommend a fertilizer with a 21-7-14 or a 22-3-9 ratio. You may also apply a fertilizer containing iron, such as “Ironite” for best results. Check with your local nursery or home improvement center for either of these products.

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