Saving water in desert areas of California and Arizona during the winter is crucial, especially considering the region's arid climate. Here are some water-saving tips for the winter months:

-Adjust Irrigation Schedules: Reduce irrigation frequency. In winter, plants generally require less water due to lower temperatures and reduced evaporation. Adjust your irrigation schedule accordingly.

-Watering During Optimum Times: Water during off-peak hours. Watering during the early morning or late afternoon helps minimize evaporation and ensures that plants absorb more moisture.

-Use Mulch: Apply a layer of mulch around plants. Mulch helps retain soil moisture, reduces evaporation, and suppresses weed growth. It also acts as insulation, protecting plant roots from temperature fluctuations.

-Choose Drought-Tolerant Plants: Opt for native and drought-resistant plants. These plants are adapted to the local climate and require less water to thrive. Consider xeriscaping, which involves landscaping with water-efficient plants.

-Fix Leaks: Check and repair irrigation system leaks. Leaks waste a significant amount of water. Regularly inspect your irrigation system for leaks and fix them promptly.

-Collecting Rainwater: When it does rain, capture and store rainwater in barrels or containers. You can use this stored water for plants during drier periods.

-Install a Smart Irrigation System: Upgrade to a smart irrigation controller. These systems use weather data to adjust watering schedules, ensuring that plants receive the right amount of water based on current weather conditions.

-Group Plants with Similar Water Needs: Zone your landscape and group plants with similar water requirements together. This allows you to water different zones appropriately, providing each group with the necessary amount of water.

By implementing these water-saving measures, residents in desert areas can contribute to sustainable water usage, even during the winter months.

California is no stranger to drought, it’s a recurring feature of our climate, especially in desert areas. Arizona has been in some stage of drought since 1994(!), so drought is a long-term concept in the West. Many shifts are made for the purpose of water conservation, one of which is in landscaping. With these dry times saw a large uptick in fake lawns. 

In a recent controversial move, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill aimed at restricting the use of "forever chemicals" in synthetic lawns. The veto highlights the state's complex stance on artificial turf, as it was a material once promoted as a water-saving solution during droughts. The vetoed bill was part of a broader effort to address health concerns associated with synthetic turf, particularly the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals, found in the crumb rubber base of artificial turf, have been linked to various chronic diseases. Despite growing worries about the environmental impact and health risks, manufacturers claim they are working to address concerns by exploring alternative materials. However, removing PFAS entirely has proven challenging.

The debate over synthetic turf in California reflects a shift in legislative priorities, with some cities already moving to ban artificial lawns due to environmental concerns. Researchers emphasize the potential health risks associated with PFAS, which can enter the human body through various pathways, including skin contact, inhalation, and water contamination.

Studies indicate that high temperatures can cause chemicals to leach out of the crumb rubber base, posing additional risks to human health. Synthetic turf, known for its heat-retaining properties, can reach temperatures significantly higher than living grass, making it a cause for concern. Experts suggest that real grass and plants offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic grass. Drought-friendly landscaping options, such as warm-season grasses and native plants, provide cooling benefits and contribute to a healthier urban ecosystem.

Overseeding is a rejuvenating process that can breathe new life into your grass. Fall is the perfect time for overseeding, since the soil is still warm from the summer months, and there's usually a bit more moisture in the air. Overseeding helps fill in bare spots, improves turf density, and enhances the overall aesthetic appeal of your lawn.

Here’s a step by step guide to overseeding your grass in the fall.

1.     Prepare your lawn. Start by measuring it – this is important for calculating how much seed and fertilizer you’ll need. Then mow your lawn shorter than usual for better seed-to-soil contact.

2.     Choose the right seed. Select a high-quality grass seed blend that suits the dry desert climate. Consider factors like sun exposure, soil type, and foot traffic of the area when making your choice.

3.     Seeding - Evenly distribute the seeds across the lawn, paying special attention to thin or bare areas, ensuring thorough coverage. Consider mixing seeds with a starter fertilizer to provide essential nutrients.

4.     Watering – It’s important to keep the soil consistently moist to support seed germination, so water lightly but frequently, ensuring the soil doesn't dry out. A light watering in the morning is ideal.

5.     Maintenance – Germination can take several weeks. In this time, it’s best to avoid heavy foot traffic in the newly seeded areas. After that, resume mowing and watering as usual.

6.     Fertilization – once grass has reached 2-3 inches, apply a balanced fertilizer to encourage healthy growth.

For more information visit: https://westcoastturf.com 

Football is a rough contact sport, one with inherent risk for on-field injuries. While those injuries are inevitable, the extent and severity of them depend on several factors. One of those factors that is currently trending in the news is the use of grass versus artificial turf. Aaron Rodgers started and ended his season with the Jets during Week 1 of Monday Night Football with a torn Achilles tendon. So what does this have to do with grass? Well, a lot.

In terms of safety, there is a huge difference between playing on natural grass and artificial turf. Here are a few:

1.     Traction – with natural grass, you get more consistent traction as well as footing. Players are less likely to slip on sod than they are on slippery turf.

2.     Shock absorption – since grass is much softer and more forgiving of a surface, it provides much better shock absorption, which cuts down on injuries and concussions by absorbing the impact players’ bodies might otherwise take.

3.     Lower risk of scrapes to players’ bodies – skidding into any surface can be painful, but natural grass provides a softer landing than artificial turf, as it’s much less abrasive.

4.     Joint injuries – since a grass surface is much more forgiving, it causes less stress to joints, such as knees and ankles – both season-ending injuries for an NFL player

5.     “Turf burn” – artificial turf reaches much higher temperatures than natural grass. Especially in the beginning of a football season in warmer regions, this can cause heat-related injuries for players, as well as discomfort in general.

Optimizing player safety is a top priority for every NFL team and the surface they play and practice on plays a larger role than most people know! West Coast Turf provides sod for many football fields, among many other sports and venues. For more information, visit our website at: westcoastturf.com

With the intense heat of the summer, it can be an intimidating task to lay sod. Often, the ideal time to lay sod is early to mid-fall, or in the spring. For many people though, summer is the perfect time to get it done. 

Summer can be a hard time for new sod, since it’s hot and the sod can be vulnerable to drought. But with the right strategy and lots of water, you can install warm or cool season sod any time of the year. Here’s how:

1. Test your soil. Your soil’s health determines the overall health of your grass and testing to make sure it will thrive is the right way to a successful lawn. It helps to balance your soil’s pH so when you apply nutrients found in fertilizers, your grass is able to absorb those. When soil’s pH is off, nutrients can’t be absorbed as effectively and fertilizer you buy may be a waste of money. Taking a soil analysis and sending it to a laboratory is an affordable way to test. 
2. Choose the right sod for your lawn. Does your lawn have a lot of shade? What grass colors, textures, and physical aspects do you want in your sod? These are questions to ask yourself when choosing. Of course, the climate you live in – in our case, dry desert – plays a huge part in the selection as well. Luckily, this part of the process can be made easy by consulting one of the experts at West Coast Turf. 
3. Measure the planting area. This will help you determine how much sod you need to order and is crucial whether you’re laying sod in the summer, fall, or spring. There are many apps and tools to calculate how much surface area you’ll need to cover and how much sod is needed. 
4. Kill and remove old grass. When you install new sod, it’s important that all currently existing grass and other vegetation be removed. 
5. Prep soil and level. This step is especially important for laying sod in the summer months. Proper site preparation makes it easier for new grass roots to penetrate deeply and evenly—this allows your sod to establish quickly during the stressful heat of the summer. Although you will still need to water your lawn a lot during the summer, deep roots will make the lawn denser and drought resistant, allowing for more efficient use of water and nutrients. A dense lawn will outcompete weeds and resists insects and disease a little better as well.
6. Lay the new sod. It should remain on the pallet a very short time during summer installations as this will cause the sod to dry out. If you notice the sod is heating up on the pallets, unstack them and spray them with water.
7. Water and fertilize. It is crucial in the summer months to make sure you are watering your grass adequately!

Please let us know if you have any questions or want to talk about installing new sod! Visit https://westcoastturf.com for more info.