tarting at the end of September and into October is the ideal time to over seed in the Phoenix area.  If you plan on over seeding in the fall, you need to begin reducing the frequency of how often you water the lawn and stop fertilizing. Less food and water will help the lawn go into dormancy quicker. Mow your lawn to ½ inch high when you are ready to over seed. Next, spread the seed evenly over the lawn. Immediately after spreading the seed, apply Fertilome™ New Lawn Starter on top of the seed to increase the germination rate and provide the seed with a strong root base. Once the seed and starter fertilizer are down, the final step is covering with a mulch dressing. Start watering the seed immediately 3 to 5 times a day for a few minutes at a time. Avoid standing water. The key is to not let the seed dry out after water hits it the first time. Dry seed is dead seed.

When choosing a grass to over seed with in the fall you will find there are mainly two options available. The most common options are Annual and Perennial Ryegrass. Annual rye grass is a coarse, wide bladed grass. It is less expensive to buy but you get what you pay for. Annual rye grass is not heat tolerant, often dying out before your summer lawn comes out of dormancy in the spring. Annual is very wet, sticks to mower blades, and will stain easily. Perennial rye grass has great color, a much finer blade than annual, and is heat tolerant. We carry a mixed blend of three Perennial varieties. By blending varieties we are able to take advantage of the best characteristics of each. If you have always planted Annual and never tried perennial, we urge you to give it a try, you will never go back.