PH. 538-7283(SAVE)
FT. HUACHUCA
LAWN SEEDING AND CARE GUIDE
Ground preparation before seeding: Dig into the soil where you want to spread grass
seed. Determine if the soil is loose and moist, or hard and dry? If the soil is hard and
dry, you need to add some moisture to it and break it up. Try to break up the soil using
a shovel and a hard rake, digging at least 4 inches deep into the soil.
After you have broken up the ground, add compost to the existing soil. Level the
compost as best as possible, then rake or turn it with a shovel. Never lay topsoil or
compost on top of existing soil – always mix thoroughly. Then rake the soil to remove
rocks and to put small grooves in it to help with erosion control. You can get bags of
compost at the post Garden Center or any of the local nurseries. When available,
compost can also be obtained in larger quantities through the Directorate of Public
Works Environmental office at 533-3210 or by the pickup load from the City of Sierra
Vista/ Cochise County transfer station at 452-7072
Seeding: You can get common Bermuda grass seed at the Self Help Store (Building
22408) at no charge. Bermuda grass is a warm season grass and does well in sunny
areas. Self Help also has a perennial rye grass available for shady areas. Do not sow
the seeds in the same area as they have different sun and moisture tolerance.
Bermuda grass should be seeded at a rate of 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. of seed per thousand
square feet. Seeding should start no earlier than mid May and be completed no later
than the middle of August. Perennial ryegrass should be seeded at a rate of 6 – 8 lbs.
of seed per thousand square feet. Seeding should be done in late August or the
beginning of September.
Mulching for better seed germination: Use straw mulch to cover the newly seeded
lawn to prevent birds from eating the seed, prevent the seed from washing or blowing
away, and to retain moisture so that the seed remains damp. Straw makes good
general mulch for newly seeded lawns. Straw can be purchased locally at a feed store
or similar establishment. Apply a thin layer of straw mulch, covering about 75% of the
ground. You will probably have to rake away what remains of the straw once the grass
has grown up through the straw and before you mow.
(OVER)
Watering your newly seeded lawn: A newly seeded lawn must be kept continuously
damp. However, too much water in any one application will wash away the seed, and
probably some of the soil with it. Ideally, a newly seeded Bermuda grass lawn should
be watered lightly 3 to 4 times a day, so you will need to use a hand-held hose with a
nozzle adjusted to a gentle spray. Try for an even application of water so that all
seeded areas get uniformly damp. Do not over water a newly seeded lawn. Expect the
seeds to germinate in 10 to 14 days.
You may use a sprinkler to water your lawn during May and June between the hours of
1800 – 2000 on Wednesday and Sunday for the Bonnie Blink Area and 1800-2000 on
Tuesday and Saturdays for all other housing areas in accordance with the Installation
Irrigation Policy. When using a sprinkler on a newly seeded lawn, it is best to turn it on
for 5 to10 minutes at a time, and move it around to different seeded areas in your yard
to ensure that all the areas are receiving sufficient moisture without being drowned.
Once Bermuda grass has reached a height of about 1.5 inches, you can adjust your
watering schedule and just hand water it once a day for 10 to15 minutes (1/4 to 3/8 inch
of water) until it is about 2.5 inches tall.
Water a newly seeded perennial rye grass lawn area twice daily to keep the seeds wet,
from 1000 to 1400. This restricts you to hand watering only. Again, water lightly, and
keep covered with straw mulch until the grass germinates.
Mowing: Let the new grass grow to no longer than 2.5 inches, then mow it back to 2.0
inches. After the first mowing, when your lawn is well established, you should continue
to mow your lawn to a height no lower than 2 inches to reduce water loss through
evaporation. Don’t mow more than 1/3 of the height of the grass at any one mowing as
this may damage the grass. After the first mowing, cut back the watering schedule to
every other day, or longer if the grass can tolerate it. During the “monsoon” or rainy
season, you should not have to water the grass at all if sufficient rainfall is received.
Once your lawn is established: Once the lawn is established it should be infrequently
watered to a depth of 8 to 12 inches when necessary. The watering depth can be
checked with a soil probe that is available from the Self Help Store. The self Help Store
also has copies of the Simplified Water Policy Table that summarizes the post
Installation Irrigation Policy. An established Bermuda grass lawn should be allowed to
go dormant in the fall, and remain dormant (yellow and dry) throughout the winter and
spring. Trying to green up a dormant Bermuda grass lawn by watering before soil
temperatures reach 55 – 60 degrees (which usually occurs about mid-May) may harm
the grass by rotting the roots.
This guide was prepared by Ft. Huachuca Water Wise and Energy Smart, a University of Arizona Cochise County
Cooperative Extension Program contracted by the Ft. Huachuca Directorate of Public Works. Updated July 2006