Many of the grasses we use for our lawns today were developed by turf departments on college campuses. In an article by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, discussing vegetative Bermuda grasses for Arizona lawns, they note that Santa Ana was developed by the University of California in the 1970’s.
Santa Ana is one of the bermudagrass options that works very well for lawns in Arizona including Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma. It also works at higher locales in the state from May to October. One of the particulars about keeping your lawn healthy that many overlook is the lawn height which is optimum for mowing.
It is very important to get the mowing height right due to the fact that cutting your grass too short, known as scalping, will cause your lawn to direct energy to growing leaves as opposed to roots. It’s the roots which will help your lawn thrive, especially during dry times. Listed below are some proper mowing heights for common grasses used in Arizona.
Midiron
This is the most popular turf grass in Arizona. It is bright green and can handle the high temperatures of the state. Midiron also becomes dormant during the winter. It should be mowed at 2 inches.
Palmetto St. Augustine
This grass is often used in Arizona due to its hardiness in shady areas. It goes dormant late in the year and returns in the spring; however, it does not do well with overseeding. It should be mowed at a height of 2 ½ inches.
Santa Ana
Santa AnaThis bermuda grass can make an excellent turf when mowed properly. Heights range from 7/16-1.0 inches. Since it is low maintenance, it should not be mowed at heights above 1.25 inches, leaving no use for a rotary mower. When it goes dormant in the winter, let it get to 2 inches so that the cold doesn’t damage it.
Tifway And Tifway II
Tifway 419 and Tifway II sod bermudagrass are single plant types. They thrive at close mowing heights of 1/2-1.0 inch with a reel-type mower. This means a lot of mowing in the summer. If mowed with a rotary mower, the turfs should be mowed between 1.5 and 2.0 inches, but a higher mowing height eventually will cause the plant to look thinned out.
Ryegrass
The grasses listed above can be overseeded with a cold season grass except the Palmetto St. Augustine. The grass recommended for overseeding is perennial ryegrass and should be done in the fall. The ryegrass should be mown at a height of 1½ to 2½ inches.
Contact Sprinkler Doctors
Watering your lawn and landscaping goes hand in hand with proper mowing to create a lush, beautiful lawn year round. At Sprinkler Doctors, we help you prepare a watering plan and can install what you need to make it happen. We also repair sprinkler systems. Please call us today for all of your watering needs at 480-292-1773. Contact us.