Southwest Lawn Mowing Guide
Desert Southwest lawns are about surviving heat and stretching water. Bermuda loves the heat but goes dormant and brown in the cool months, so you either let it rest or overseed with ryegrass for winter color, a choice that shapes your whole calendar. Buffalograss is the native, low-water alternative. Either way, irrigation does the heavy lifting and the summer monsoon sets the timing.
What grass do you have?
- Bermuda: the heat-loving default; cut low; dormant in winter unless overseeded.
- Buffalograss: native, very low water; can be left tall and infrequently mowed.
Mowing heights for Southwest grasses
| Grass | Mowing height | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bermuda | Arizona: 1–2 in common, 0.5–1 in Tifway 419. New Mexico: 0.5–1.5 in | Raise slightly under extreme heat stress |
| Buffalograss | Arizona: 3 in or higher. Colorado: 2–3 in, or unmowed. New Mexico: 1.5–4 in | Low input: some homeowners leave it unmowed |
| Ryegrass (winter overseed) | Arizona: 2.25–2.75 in with a rotary mower, 1–1.5 in with a reel mower | Only if you overseed Bermuda for winter color |
Southwest mowing calendar
| Month | Mowing & lawn care |
|---|---|
| Jan | Bermuda dormant (or mow overseeded ryegrass). |
| Feb | Bermuda begins to green up in Arizona’s low desert as the air warms; light mowing if overseeded. |
| Mar | Bermuda keeps greening up. Overseeded lawns stay on ryegrass until the spring transition. |
| Apr | Bermuda growth resumes once the soil holds at 60°F. Overseeded lawns: start the transition off ryegrass after 7 nights in a row above 60°F, usually April to May. |
| May | Strong growth before peak heat; weekly cuts. |
| Jun | Extreme heat: Bermuda thrives; mow weekly, water early. |
| Jul | Monsoon season drives fast growth. Mow every 5–7 days. |
| Aug | Continued monsoon growth; keep up with it. |
| Sep | Still hot and active; weekly mowing. |
| Oct | Bermuda still growing; weekly mowing continues. Overseed with ryegrass now for winter color (optional). |
| Nov | Bermuda growth slows and it heads to dormancy; mow ryegrass if overseeded. |
| Dec | Bermuda dormant; light ryegrass mowing if overseeded. |
Mowers & equipment
See our mowing height guide and best lawn mowers.
Get the full Southwest plan
Lush Lawns Southwest: region-specific mowing heights, seasonal timing, and lawn care for the Southwest (Bermuda and Buffalograss).
Printable Southwest lawn care calendar and worksheet
Two PDFs to print at home, built from the extension service publications for the Southwest. Each page lists the publications it draws on.
Southwest Lawn Care Bundle: $5.99
The calendar and the worksheet together, $3.49 less than buying both.
Buy the bundle for $5.99Southwest Lawn Care Calendar: $4.49
Find your grass on the first page, then turn to its page for when to mow, water and fertilize, with mowing heights for each grass.
Buy for $4.49Southwest Lawn Planning Worksheet: $4.99
Measure your lawn, record a soil test, work out how much fertilizer to spread, test what your sprinklers put down, and log the season month by month.
Buy for $4.99Sold through Link, Stripe's checkout, which handles payment and sales tax; the charge on your statement starts with LINK.COM. Your download links arrive by email from support@mowguide.com right after purchase, and each link works for 30 days. If a PDF doesn't work for you, our Refund Policy gives a full refund within 60 days.