Preparing your Lawn for Winter

Winter in California and Arizona is definitely unique. For many lucky residents in these states winter still means sunny days and lush green lawns. However, as the weather gradually begins cooling down, it’s time to start preparing your California and Arizona lawns for the cooler weather. This preparation is especially important when it comes to watering your lawn. To help, our Arizona sod experts have provided some winter watering tips to keep your lawn green while also being water wise. 

Winter Watering Tips

The stage of your Arizona lawn will greatly determine the type of winter watering schedule you should follow. For instance, when watering new Arizona sod, you’ll only want to water more during the first 14 days of installation. Specifically, new Arizona sod should be watered two times a day during daylight hours within the first 14 days of watering. After those 14 days, the roots will be sufficiently established and you can reduce winter watering to once every other day in the early morning hours for 15 to 20 minutes.

On the other hand, if you’re dealing with an already established Arizona sod lawn then it will require a completely different winter watering schedule. You’ll want to water your fully established lawn in the early morning hours every 3 to 10 days depending on the weather. If it’s raining for a few days, you can wait for your lawn to dry out before watering again. But, if it’s dry you’ll want to keep shorter increments in your winter watering schedule. Either way, watering duration should be long enough for the water to penetrate four to six inches deep.

All in all, the best way to keep your lawn healthy this winter will depend on your winter watering schedule. If you’re wondering how you can easily tell if your lawn is getting enough water, we have a few tips to help with that as well. One way to know if your lawn does not need watering is by testing it with a 6-inch stick or screwdriver. If you can easily push it into your soil, your lawn doesn’t need water.

You’ll also want to make sure you’re getting every part of the lawn watered evenly. Use uniform sized sprinklers and nozzles to help with even water flow. You can also space out small containers around your lawn to see which areas are getting more, or less, water. You’ll want each container filled evenly with one inch of water. This will also help you to properly manage the timing of your winter watering schedule.

One last note from our West Coast Turf sod pros, always remember to turn off your sprinklers when it rains and reschedule watering for the next few days to avoid drowning your lawn. Happy winter watering!

Thinking about Installing Sod?

It’s not too late! With warm weather still on the horizon, now is still a good time to install Arizona sod. As the leader in California and Arizona sod products, we can help you buy and install the best sod from our local and fresh sod farms! With more than 30 different varieties to choose from, we can help you make the best decision for your lawn, sports field or golf course. To learn more, call one of our expert customer service representatives today at 888-893-TURF.