(I realize I live in a desert and shouldn't have grass, but I have pets and kids that need to run and frolic in the stuff so the grass stays and I need help with it!)

I live in Phoenix where we have winter (Rye) and summer (Bermuda) grass. I loathe overseeding every fall and would prefer to have year-round grass. I know that in some parts of the country Bluegrass works well, and have just finished up some research that says Bluegrass or Buffalo grass may work for me.

Anyone have any ideas or thoughts on this? Any help or ideas are appreciated.

Thanks!
GBooks

KBG will go dormant as will buffalo grass. Sometimes St Augustine will remain green and growing all winter if the temps are not too low and the water and fertilizing is kept up. I've done it to prove a point, but I don't feel a need to do it every year.

Sorry but you are kind of asking the impossible. At your elevation Bermuda is the best choice as it will remain green for about 10 months out of the year. But even Bermuda requires quite a bit of water to keep it alive in Phoenix.

What you can try is pushing liquid iron on the Bermuda once a month from November to late February to keep it green during December and January. But if you get a heavy frost, the game is over, and the Bermuda will go dormant.

KBG would not survive Phoenix summers no matter how often you water.

I think the only real options are Bermuda and Buffalo. Both will go dormant if you get a frost. Bermuda is more aggressive, but requires more fertilizer. Buffalo takes less input, but is more likely to give you a thin lawn.

I live up in Prescott and we have both cool season grasses (KBG, rye and fescue), ans warm season grasses predominantly Bermuda with some Zoysia here and there. Granted I am a nw resident to the area, but all I have ever seen in Phoenis for those fortunate few who actually have grass lawns is Bermuda and over seeded with Rye in winter.

How long do you water when you water every other day? Do you know how much water your sprinklers put out during that time? Do you back off on watering in the cool months (January ;-))

How high do you mow and how often?

The problem in the Sonoran desert and even the inland Mojave desert east of Edwards AFB is the extremely low humidity. It's brutal on St Augustine.

One of the alternatives to overseeding in the winter for keeping green color on dormant bermuda grass is to paint the grass. I'm not sure if there are contractors in your area that provide such a service, but it is a growing trend here in the southeastern U.S. for golf courses, athletic fields, and homeowners. It reduces the need for additional mowing, fertilizer, and labor in the winter months. It also eliminates the problems associated with Spring transition (ryegrass or Poa Triv competing with the emerging bermudagrass.)