Overseeding With Rye

It sort of sounds like a sandwich, but it's actually the fall ritual of landscaping. The Water Expert sent me this link to an article by a fellow in the Extension Office in Pinal County with some great concise tips and explanation of the whole process:

If you want a spot of green lawn in your yard during the coming winter months, now is the time to switch your heat-loving summer lawn to a cool weather grass by overseeding..

The annual ritual of converting all forms of Bermudagrass and other warm weather lawns to a winter hardy grass is now in full swing throughout the desert areas of Arizona. The conversion process is fairly easy to do, as long as a few simple rules are followed.

Go read the whole thing; it won't take very long.

The Water Expert adds some more information:

They don’t talk about how much water to initially start with. We start with 3 minutes six times per day to get initial stand of grass, then cut back as it greens up, re-seed if necessary. Then after the first mowing fertilize it, mow for three to four weeks and get one more dose of fertilizer down before Christmas. We usually end up watering the turf twice a week after we have a good stand.

I love the rye grass, as does my shady back yard. It is my favorite harbinger of fall in Arizona!