| There are two main types of grass grown here in the low desert: a warm-season grass, which is Bermuda; it is sometimes overseeded for the cool-season with ryegrass. There is no grass species that can survive both temperature extremes here. However, many people install the Bermuda grass for the warm months and then let it go dormant in the winter. It's usually brown from about Thanksgiving until temps. warm up in the spring. Ryegrass does not get seeded by itself; in other words, you overseed Bermuda with rye, but rye can't be the only grass. Bermuda can be seeded from May through August. Overseeding with rye takes place in October by Nov. 15. There are many types of Bermuda but they have fairly similar characteristics. Most are fairly drought tolerant and recover from damage quickly. There is a sample turf plot at Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix at their demonstration garden, where you can see some of the different grasses available. |
