Is it time to start watering dormant summer grass?

As the weather warms and days lengthen, adjust your irrigation timer to water more frequently. Be sure to run your system long enough to wet the top two feet of soil. Deep, infrequent watering is much better than a daily sprinkle.

As your dormant lawn begins to "wake up", start watering once or twice a week, to encourage it along, especially with the lack of rainfall we've experienced so far this year. And be sure to schedule an initial feeding before the end of the month. The lawn has been in hibernation all winter and will be ready for a good feeding. This is one of the very few times I would allow Sulfate of Ammonia to be used in the garden. The high nitrogen content will give the lawn a loud wake up call (again, follow label directions and be sure to water in well after application). Otherwise, your regular lawn food, a 21-7-14 (Arizona's Best "Four Seasons" Lawn Food) or a 16-8-8 (Arizona's Best "All Purpose" Fertilizer), can be used now and throughout the growing season.

As your lawn starts to show signs of greening, then resume your normal watering schedule from now until fall. And again, a deep, infrequent watering is much better than a daily sprinkle. That along with a regular feeding schedule, will encourage a deeper and healthier root system, which eventually leads to reduced weed growth, less disease or insect problems, and little or no "summer stress".