Question
I live in Phoenix, AZ.  My lawn is mostly bermuda with a little bit of golf turf grass in it.  I have some mixed perennial rygrass.  When should I plant it and, since I can't prep ground or scalp (I live on the golf course rough) how should I attempt it? The golf course has given permission, but no help.

Answer
Mid September through 2nd week of October is preferred in Phoenix. Bermuda grass should be scalped nearly to bare soil with lawn mower and then rye grass seed to be spread on top of the soil and you must then water frequently to keep it moist and promote germination. If the seeds are allowed to dry out even slightly, they die. Water several times per day for a few minutes each time. If the golf course has installed sprinklers, talk to the superintendent about setting these sprinklers to come on every 2 hours for 15 minutes.

The biggest job is removing all the old clippings before you overseed. This is important because the seeds need good soil/seed contact. Mow the lawn gradually lower with a bagging attachment and then go after carefully and pickup what you can. If you can find an equipment rental stores which rent dethatchers (vertical mowers) you can set it at a low (shallow) setting and run over the lawn several times in each direction. Besides re-moving the thatch (which must be raked and bagged) you accomplish the task of scarifying the soil (preparring it for the seeds, and ensuring good soil/seed contact).

Do not fertilize the lawn until the annual rye is well established (3 weeks).