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Arizona Landscaping; What You Should Know About Transitioning Winter Rye to Bermudagrass

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Now that temperatures have consistently been above 65 degrees in the evenings, it is time to start phasing out the Winter Ryegrass in your community- making way for the revitalization of Summer Bermudagrass. Here in the Arizona desert, our climate calls for two different grass species; Bermudagrass in the Summer and Ryegrass in the Winter (should you choose to overseed). This time of year the Ryegrass starts to wilt and turn brown as it dies off for the Summer and the Bermudagrass begins to sprout. There are lots of landscaping tips and tricks that YOU can do to help this transition go smoothly!

Scalping Winter Rye

It is a good practice to scalp Winter Ryegrass to about 1/2 of its typical length. This allows the heat from the sun to get through to the soil and stress the Winter grass into submission- enabling the Bermudagrass to become dominant and begin to grow.

Decreasing Water Usage

Temporarily decreasing water usage to the Ryegrass will allow it to die off. Bermudagrass thrives with less water and warmer temperatures while the Rye does not, therefore decreasing competition between the two.

Fertilization

Fertilizing turf using a high ammonium sulfate fertilizer weakens the Ryegrass while strengthening up and coming Bermuda. Using the right fertilization practices will not only decrease competition between the grass types but will later provide a healthy and lush Summer lawn.

Lawn Aeration

While many people shy away from lawn aeration due to the unsightly holes that result, this practice is one of the best things that can be done for a transitioning lawn! Aeration allows water, oxygen, and the fertilizer to better reach the roots of the grass and will help that Bermudagrass grow in strong, healthy, and beautiful!

It is important to remember that the grass will typically appear brown/yellow and sparse during this transition time. This is perfectly normal and means that the process is underway! Being patient and allowing the grass time to go through this process will lead to amazing results and a beautiful Summer lawn!

Scalping
Turf Aeration
Bermudagrass Final Result
Overseedwordpress

To Overseed or Not?

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Consider the money you save from the overseed and water costs this year so you can: remove and update ‘wrong plant, wrong location’ areas or fill in areas that are missing plants.

As fall soon approaches it is important to remember more than just the jack o’ lanterns, cooler weather, and colorful leaves that surround us here in Arizona. Fall is typically the time we transition our grass warm season turf in the desert. Bermuda grass will become dormant for the winter typically around September-October which is when we begin to transition lawns to our winter Rye grass. This transition raises a question as to whether or not to overseed. Annual overseeding is pretty common for us in the valley, but is it the best move for your lawn this season?

 Why Skipping Overseeding This Season Can Add Value

 Overseeding with winter Rye gives our grass landscape a uniform green grass through out the winter, so why should we skip overseeding this season? With Arizona’s extreme heat and recent lack of rainfall this year, as well as increased pricing of seed and water, giving your grass a break from overseeding this season may be just what your budget, summer turf areas, and overall landscape need.

Overseeding with Ryegrass too often can lead to competition for nutrients, water, and light between your summer Bermuda and the winter Rye grass. This competition can lead to wear and spotty Bermuda throughout the summer.

Taking a break this season from overseed in your community will ensure that spring’s Bermuda grass won’t be in competition to come back from dormancy, creating a stronger and healthier summer lawn.

With the money saved in overseed and water cost, your community can do those planting and enhancement projects this fall that have been put off during the hottest and dryest monsoon season.

Let’s talk more about how you can maintain the investment in your landscape and improve its value. Call ELS business development team at 602.703.1850 anytime.