April Watering Guide: Transitioning Your Phoenix Lawn for Summer

The Heat is Coming: Is Your System Ready?

April in Phoenix is deceptive. The mornings are cool, but afternoon highs are creeping into the 90s. This is the "shoulder season" where many homeowners make critical mistakes—either watering too much too soon, or failing to ramp up before the first heatwave hits.

1. Wake Up Your Bermuda Grass

If you overseeded with winter rye, it's starting to die off. If you let your lawn go dormant, you're seeing green shoots of Bermuda grass returning. Now is the time to:

• Scalp the Lawn: Lower your mower blade to remove dead winter grass and let sunlight hit the soil.
• Increase Watering Frequency: Shift from once a week to every 3-4 days to encourage Bermuda growth.
• Fertilize: Apply a high-nitrogen fertilizer to jumpstart the warm-season grass.

2. Adjust Your Drip System for Trees

Your citrus and desert trees are entering their active growing season. They need deep hydration to support new leaves and fruit set.

• Citrus Trees: Water every 14-21 days, penetrating 3 feet deep.
• Desert Trees (Palo Verde, Mesquite): Water every 21-30 days, also to 3 feet.
• Shrubs: Water every 14 days to a depth of 2 feet.

3. Check for "Review & Repair"

Before you set your controller to "Summer Mode," do a full system audit:

• Run a Test Cycle: Turn on each zone for 2 minutes. Walk the property.
• Look for Geysers: A missing head can waste 15 gallons a minute.
• Check Drip Emitters: Are they clogged? Is water reaching the root ball?
• Inspect the PVB: Look for leaks at the backflow preventer (the brass assembly above ground).

4. The Smart Controller Advantage

If you have a smart controller (like Rachio or Hunter Hydrawise), ensure your "Seasonal Shift" feature is enabled. This will automatically increase watering times as the daily solar radiation increases. If you're still using an old dial timer, now is the perfect time to upgrade—before you're sweating in 110-degree heat trying to program it.