What You Need to Know About Winter Lawns

Temperatures are falling in Tucson, and that means winter is just around the corner. But unlike lots of other places in the country, wintertime in Southern Arizona can still be quite sunny and warm, which means there’s still plenty of opportunities to enjoy your lawn. Unless you want to look at a dry, patchy lawn for the next couple of months, you should think about planting a winter lawn. A landscaping company in Tucson can help plant and maintain your winter lawn, but here are some important things you should know upfront.

Mowing Height

Before seeding rye grass for the winter, scalp your lawn to a height between ¼ and ¾ of an inch. Scalping helps the new rye seedlings absorb maximum sunlight, water, and fertilizer nutrients. You can start mowing a rye winter lawn when it’s two inches high. Perennial rye laws should be mowed to a height between ¾ of an inch to 2.5 inches.

Watering a Winter Lawn

As a general rule of thumb, water your lawn every three to 10 days for about 15 minutes. You don’t want to overwater a winter lawn; in reality you should underwater to slow its growth and encourage stronger and deeper roots. You can tell if you are overwatering by using a screwdriver to measure soil penetration. After watering, push the shaft of a long screwdriver into the soil. If the screwdriver goes deeper than six inches easily, you’re watering too much and should cut back on how long you run the sprinklers.

Winter Lawn Fertilization

Winter lawns should be fertilized every three weeks with a 21-7-14 fertilizer. This fertilizer formula is high in nitrogen, which promotes blade growth, and potassium, which promotes cell function and helps roots absorb trace elements in the soil. Fertilization can be tricky, so consult with your landscape maintenance company for more tips and advice.

If you care enough your landscaping to plant a winter lawn, you obviously take great pride in how your landscape looks—and so does Santa Rita Landscaping, Inc. Our goal is to make your outdoor living space unique, personal, and one that you’ll be proud to show off to friends and family. Call us at (520) 623-0421 to learn more about our custom residential landscape design services in Tucson.