Take a break from overseeding

Phoenix, and many Valley cities, raised the cost of water this year. Phoenix sewer bills are based on your water consumption in the first three months of the year, so if you use less water then you lower your sewer bill for the entire year.

This is just one more reason to consider skipping overseeding this winter and allowing your lawn to go dormant naturally.

Need more convincing?

Bermuda, left alone, has an approximate nine-month growing season here. We cut that season down to about five months by overseeding, damaging it and stunting development of a healthy root bed. After a few years, a winter vacation might be just what the doctor orders.

Compare your grass to a bear. If that bear spent a nice, long summer eating lots of food and storing up fat, he's going to have no problem getting through the short winter ahead. Cut that summer in half and the bear will barely recover from the previous hibernation, let alone survive another long winter.

Bears use calories for energy; grass uses sunlight. The longer your lawn absorbs that energy over the summer the stronger and fuller it will be next season. One season off every two or three years makes a difference. Be sure to dethatch your lawn in early spring and put down compost if you don't overseed. A pre-emergent will help keep out weeds.

Can't stand the thought of a dead, yellow lawn in front of your home? Paint it with a specially formulated lawn paint used on sports fields before big events giving it a rich, green color all winter.

Are you one of many Valley residents who puts up with Bermuda all summer just so you can enjoy Rye grass in the winter? There are some ways to cheat the system.

After overseeding you will need to water a few times every day for the first month. Once the Rye is established, save water by cutting back to a couple good waterings a week.

Come March, cut your lawn shorter each week. Once it's down to three-quarters-of-an-inch to an inch, the sun will bring the Bermuda out of dormancy. You can help by putting down compost.

Mow your lawn weekly all summer. This helps the Bermuda spread horizontally, creating a healthy layer of thatch and filling in dead spots.

Allen and Brittney Walker are residents of Chandler. Allen owns Green Dreamin' LLC landscape repair, servicing Ahwatukee Foothills and the East Valley, and Brittney is a local writer. Reach them at (480) 862-4647 or awalker@greendreamin.com.