How to Overseed Bermuda Grass With Rye Grass in Arizona

The weather in Arizona is so different during the summer and winter that no individual type of grass can provide a green lawn during both seasons. Bermuda grass is especially appropriate for the hot Arizona summers while rye grass works very well during the cool Arizona winters. Homeowners can successfully overseed rye grass on top of their Bermuda grass using materials purchased at any home center.

Perennial rye grass
Landscape rake
Lawnmower
Thatcher
Broadcaster spreader
Fertilizer spreader
Compost/manure mix
Watering system

Instructions

- 1
  Mow the Bermuda lawn to a height of 1/2-inch. Use the landscape rake to remove all the cut grass.
- 2
  Thatch the lawn using the thatcher. Use the thatcher like you would a lawnmower. Thatchers have a special blade that removes the dead underlayer of grass called thatch. Use a landscape rake to remove the thatch left by the thatcher.
- 3
  Adjust the broadcast spreader to the setting recommended on the bags of rye grass. Fill the broadcast spreader with rye grass and spread the grass at a rate of 10 to 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
- 4
  Fill the fertilizer spreader with the compost/mulch mixture. Spread the mixture to obtain a 1/4-inch coverage of the lawn.
- 5
  Water three times a day for 10 minutes until the rye grass sprouts (7 to 10 days). Then water once a day for 10 minutes until the rye grass reaches the height of 2 inches. Then water on a normal Arizona winter watering schedule.
- 6
  Set your mower to mow the lawn between 3/4 and 2 1/2 inches.

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