Following the expertise of our community’s landscape partner, Alamar’s board of directors adopted the community’s first overseed rotation plan, which skips the overseeding of select community turf areas each year to give them the chance to rest and regain strength, resulting in stronger turf in the future.
Having a rotation is a horticultural best practice that allows responsible and sustainable management of Alamar’s resources.
What's the process of overseeding?
In Arizona, our predominant turf is Bermuda grass, that’s green in the warm months and dormant in the winter. That dry, dull grass you commonly see in January and February is not dead — it’s simply Bermuda grass in its dormant state. To keep the grass green year-round, lawns are overseeded in the fall with rye grass, which can better withstand colder temperatures. This annual overseeding keeps our parks looking lush throughout the year.
Overseeding is the process of transitioning summer Bermuda grass to winter ryegrass. Bermuda grass grows well in the summer but goes dormant during the winter months, so our landscape service providers lay new ryegrass seed each fall so that the community can enjoy green grass all year long.
Unfortunately, overseeding can negatively impact the health of Bermuda grass patches of unhealthy or dead grass.
What's the plan?
Hay Moon and Neighborhood parks
These parks will get a break this year to allow for a strong return of Bermuda grass in 2025.
- Hay Moon Park
- Moonbeam Patch
- Stargaze Grove
- Starlight Pass
- Twilight Terrace
Additionally, without the ryegrass, our landscape partners will be able to bring the Bermuda grass out of its dormant state sooner than normal. Our landscape partner will work hard so that you can still enjoy the green for as long as possible.
All other turf areas will go through the overseeding process mid-October. The dark green shaded areas on the map indicate where turf will be overseeded.
Conserving water & money
Ryegrass requires a tremendous amount of water daily to stimulate seed germination and keep the grass alive. By skipping a park Alamar will conserve 7,500 gallons of water per square foot of turf, and ultimately save $13,352 dollars on the cost of water and seed.
What to expect
While overseeding, Alamar's landscape partner will place signs reminding residents to stay off until germination is complete. It’s important you don’t walk or play on these areas until the new grass receives its first mow.