Question:
The best time to water your garden in a desert climate is just after sunset. The plants soak it up better and there is less evaporation loss. For them, it’s like getting a cool drink after a long hot day…they seem to thrive on it. — 2
Response:
FYI….There are ordinances or covenants that require lawns in certain areas in Phoenix. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (note return address)) writes: Yeah you’re definitely right about this part! Unfortunately it took us a lot longer to fix our sprinkler system, and when we finally did it was too close to vacation (no one could water while we were gone). We planted right after we got back. it’s been an adventure alright! Yes, trying to grow a lawn, in a desert, in the summer. What an adventure. –Gene I will go a step further than Gene’s comment- why, in the name of all things horticultural, would you want to have an English style(or even a NE US style) lawn in the desert? There are beautiful landscapes being done in the SW that are consistent with the climate and that don’t waste precious resources. All beautiful landscapes have one thing in common, they are in concert with the "genius of the place." Whether that place is prairie,woodland,desert, wetland, temperate, mediteranean,tundra or rainforest,a garden is best when it is in harmony with its setting, not something totally inappropriate and incongruous. — Polly M. Law Upstate NY/ Z5 Insolitores Res Contiguerunt I’m a vegetarian, I don’t like Spam, so To send email, remove * from address
Response:
Yeah you’re definitely right about this part! Unfortunately it took us a lot longer to fix our sprinkler system, and when we finally did it was too close to vacation (no one could water while we were gone). We planted right after we got back. it’s been an adventure alright! Yes, trying to grow a lawn, in a desert, in the summer. What an adventure. –Gene
I will go a step further than Gene’s comment- why, in the name of all things horticultural, would you want to have an English style(or even a NE US style) lawn in the desert? There are beautiful landscapes being done in the SW that are consistent with the climate and that don’t waste precious resources. All beautiful landscapes have one thing in common, they are in concert with the "genius of the place." Whether that place is prairie,woodland,desert, wetland, temperate, mediteranean,tundra or rainforest,a garden is best when it is in harmony with its setting, not something totally inappropriate and incongruous. — Polly M. Law Upstate NY/ Z5 Insolitores Res Contiguerunt I’m a vegetarian, I don’t like Spam, so To send email, remove * from address
Response:
I grew up in New Mexico and learned the importance of working with nature and not against it. That included growing a garden more appropriate for the area. Not only will the plants do better but the misuse of what little water is in the west is cause for big concern. Your small garden will require a lot of water to survive, which impacts many environmental system just to get that water to you. Whenever I fly over Arizona and New Mexico, I am sickened to see all the golf courses and lawns sucking up water that would be best left in the rivers they belong to. They just look so out of place. If you truly want a traditional garden do as I did… move to an area that has a lot more rainfall. Sherry Nashville, Tennessee zone 6
Response:
Yeah you’re definitely right about this part! Unfortunately it took us a lot longer to fix our sprinkler system, and when we finally did it was too close to vacation (no one could water while we were gone). We planted right after we got back. it’s been an adventure alright!
Yes, trying to grow a lawn, in a desert, in the summer. What an adventure. –Gene
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -(note return address)) writes: A week ago we planted a bunch of seed to try and redo our lawn. Our lawn has very little grass, some weeds, and mostly dirt. Since we fixed our sprinkler system, we’ve been watering 4-5 times/day since we planted. We now have little grass leaves poking up from the dirt. My question is, do I still have to water 4-5 times/day or can I cut down?? I assume the 4-5 times/day was to keep the seeds moist so they would germinate. Now that they’ve germinated I would think I could cut down. I was thinking early morning and early evening would be enough. Is this correct? Keep in mind this is in Phoenix where daytime temps have been around 105 degrees! thanks!
You didn’t say what type of turf you planted. But yes, you will have to water a tremendous amount to keep it going, but even with water, when the temperatures stay above 100 every day, the grass, no matter what type, will go dormant due to the heat. It is how these warm weather grasses survive. They shut down in the high heat of summer. I have a mixture of grasses here in Texas, along with clover and other forbes. Mostly bermuda, with buffalo grass mixed in and what I am trying to do is establish a thyme lawn. Each year I take more and more grass away and add more thymes…all different colors. It really is nice. I suggest you water in the morning, not in the evening. It would be much better to try and establish a new lawn in fall, or by planting solid sod. Sorry it is not what you want to hear, and if anyone knows better, please correct me if I am wrong. victoria