Want to know how to keep your grass looking lush and gorgeous? Here are some tips on:

• Watering
• Mowing
• Mowing Equipment
• Lawn Nutrition

Watering
With the high temperatures that we experience during the Arizona summer, it is best to water in the evening or morning when you get the least amount of evaporation loss. The only exception to this rule is during establishment of new sod, or when overseeding with winter grass. During establishment of new sod, the high heat will quickly dry out your sod and can cause severe stress that can kill your grass. You must water several times during the day until your lawn is well established. After approximately three weeks, you should be able to reduce your watering to once per day in the evening.

For tips on watering, visit wateruseitwisely.com.

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Mowing
The frequency of mowing is really determined by how fast your grass is growing. Remember the rule of thumb, "never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf". If you don't want to mow often, keep your mowing height up and your fertility down. This will produce a lawn that grows slower and requires less maintenance. If you want a highly manicured look, mow it lower, fertilize it frequently, and mow it frequently.

• A Tifgreen lawn mowed below 1⁄2 of an inch may have to be mowed every 2-3 days.
• A Midiron lawn mowed at 2 inches may only have to be mowed once every 7-10 days.

New sod– Your first mowing should begin after your new sod has been established for one week. At this point, you will begin cutting back your water, and the ground will be firm enough to mow without leaving ruts or wheel marks from your lawn mower. Your first mowing should not remove more than 1/3 of the leaf, and your mower must be sharp. If your mower is not sharp, it will pull instead of cut, leaving yellow scalped areas in your new lawn.

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Mowing Equipment
Electric or Gas Reel Mowers– A gas or electric reel mower typically has 7 or 10 blades, and is used to mow grass lower than 3⁄4 of an inch. These mowers tend to cost more up front and they require more maintenance. However, they give you the best quality cut and can mow as low as 1⁄4 of an inch. A reel mower is ideal for any type of grass.

Rotary Push Mowers– A rotary mower, also known as a push mower, is commonly used to mow lawn between 3⁄4 and 3 inches. These mowers are very durable, inexpensive, and fast. The drawback to a rotary mower is that they will not produce a quality cut like a reel mower, and cannot mow below 3⁄4 of an inch. Rotary mowers are ideal for Midiron, Paspalum, St. Augustine, and Celebration Bermudagrass.

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Lawn Nutrition
Healthy lawn begins with a healthy soil. Your lawn requires a good source of nutrients to maintain its color and vigorous growth. Be careful not to over-fertilize, as this can cause excess growth, excess thatch build-up, and excess work for YOU! Too little fertilizer can leave your lawn thin, yellow, and slow to recover from wear. To keep it looking its best, your lawn requires a balanced diet, with the right amount of food on a consistent schedule—just like people do.

Nutrition for New Sod Installation– To get started right, your lawn will need a little bit of nitrogen, some phosphorus, and some potassium for good root growth. The fertilizer of choice should be similar to a 6-20-20 analysis (6% nitrogen, 20% phosphorus, 20% potassium) or a 15-15-15 (15% nitrogen, 15% phosphorus, 15% potassium). Apply the fertilizer right before the sod is installed, or immediately after the sod is installed.

If Evergreen Turf is installing your lawn, you won't need to worry about this step. Evergreen Turf fertilizes every yard we install with 15-15-15 right after we lay your sod!

If you want your lawn to grow in a little bit faster, fertilize two weeks after planting with 15-15-15 (15% nitrogen, 15% phosphorus, 15% potassium). All the water that is put on the turf during the grow-in process moves some of the nutrients downward, out of the reach of the root system. Two weeks after planting is a good time to replenish the soil with a balanced fertilizer. Just like you, your turf requires a healthy diet.

Even after the sod is established, good diet will lead to healthy growth of your turf. Feed your lawn at least once a month with a balanced fertilizer, preferably with an analysis that is high in nitrogen (such as 16-8-4 or 21-7-14).

If your lawn is growing too fast, fertilize every 8 weeks with a slow release fertilizer (with an analysis similar to 28-3-10 or 32-4-7). Slow release fertilizers spoon-feed the nutrients slowly into the soil so that your turf does not get too much nutrient at one time, and allows your turf to maintain good color while slowing down the growth.

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