Winter Watering Arizona Sod

Our temperatures have cooled down and winter is finally here. Fortunately for those of us living in Arizona, winter still means gorgeous, sunny days and a lush green lawn. However, we can (and should) adjust the amount we water our grass at this time of year. At West Coast Turf/Western Sod we offer these winter watering tips for Arizona sod for our climate, defined by days with temperatures less than 90 degrees so sorry to those on the East Coast who may be reading about our “harsh” winter temps!

Watering New Arizona Sod Installation

With our generally temperate climate, Arizona sod can be planted year-round. If you recently planted new turfgrass sod or are planning sod installation, you’ll want to follow the watering schedule below. New sod does require a little more watering, but only for the first 14 days.

  1. Water newly planted sod within 30 minutes of installation to help sod bond to the soil.
  2. During the first 14 days, water sod two times per day, in daylight hours (example: 9:00 am and 2:00 pm).
  3. Water long enough (about 15 minutes) to allow the top three inches of soil and sod to stay moist.

 

Watering Fourteen Days Past Sod Installation

After about 14 days the roots should be sufficiently established to prevent sod from separating from the soil. At this point, you can adjust watering schedules as follows. By reducing the watering schedule, it forces the roots to grow deeper, thereby creating more drought tolerant turfgrass.

  1. Only water your sod every other day.
  2. Reduce watering to just one time in the early morning hours for 15 to 20 minutes.

 

Watering Established Arizona Sod

After about 21 days the roots should be fully established, and your reduced watering schedule has produced strong, water efficient turf. Now you can decrease watering even more, following this schedule:

  1. Water the lawn in the early morning hours, every 3 to 10 days depending on the weather.
  2. Watering duration should be long enough for water to penetrate four to six inches deep.
  3. Use small containers such as tuna cans and space them around your lawn. Time your watering until the containers are filled one inch with water. That is amount of time you should be watering at this stage.

 

Tips for Green Lawns and Water Efficiency

  1. If most of your lawn is in the shade, you may be able to reduce watering even more. However, if part of the lawn is in the sun, you should ensure that those areas receive enough water.
  2. If you can easily push a 6-inch stick or screwdriver into the soil, your lawn does not need watering.
  3. Always ensure that sprinklers are directed at your lawn so that you don’t have stray water spraying walls, sidewalks or the driveway.
  4. Use uniform sizes of sprinklers and nozzles for even water flow.
  5. Remember to turn off your sprinklers when it rains (and reschedule watering accordingly for the next few days).

 

The best way to ensure a lush green lawn in the winter is to start with the best Arizona sod for the cool season. At West Coast Turf/Western Sod, we provide more than 30 varieties of natural turfgrass, sod, and stolons. We work with a variety of clients including, landscapers, developers, sports facilities, universities, homeowners, and other turfgrass professionals, helping to create healthy, water efficient turfgrass in Arizona and throughout the country.Winte

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