ALCA Member Profile: Evergreen Turf, Inc

Evergreen Turf, Inc.

Grass in the Desert? Why, Yes! Wherever people live and play, there is a need for grass! COVID has taught us a lot of lessons, (most of them we hope to never repeat), but one of the lessons that resonates with our industry, people more than ever, want to be outdoors. They want fresh air. They want to connect with nature. They want to live a healthy lifestyle. For anyone with small children or pets, that means natural grass under their bare feet! Literally!

The pandemic brought better than expected sales to the sod industry last year. The pandemic helped increase the rounds of golf, which in turn, created a demand for sod repair work and upgrades to golf courses. Sports fields are increasing in demand as youth sports are at an all-time high. With a little extra time spent at home for many people, homeowners began to remodel and rejuvenate their living spaces, inside and out. Natural grass saw a huge resurgence as people realized that life outdoors is more pleasant with cool grass underfoot.

As we face record drought and record heat, many people feel that grass has no place in the desert, but the reality is, if people are going to live in this desert, then the responsible use of grass will be a part of our lives. How do we balance the use of grass while saving water?

At Evergreen Turf our first priority has always been to help our customers find the best grass for their specific needs. Evergreen Turf grows more than 10 different grasses, just for Arizona, each with its own specific use to ensure the success of our recreational space in the Sonoran Desert.

TifTuf has made a splash the last few years. After rigorous testing in Arizona and California, we can confirm that it is the most drought tolerant bermudagrass on the market today. You will begin to see its use on golf courses and sport fields first. We are beginning to see homeowners request TifTuf as they hope to lower their water bill by using this grass.

As landscapes and trees mature, we see shade lines extending into grass areas. No grass can tolerate 100% shade in Arizona, but TifGrand and Palmetto St. Augustine both tolerate as little as 4-6 hours of sunlight. The right grass for the right application!

Midiron is still king of our landscape grasses, the main reason, it is the easiest grass to maintain – the easiest to overseed, and the best transitioning grass from overseeding. It can be mowed at 3 inches or half an inch; it is drought tolerant and produces very little thatch.

Tifway is still the standard for sports turf and golf course fairways in Arizona. A durable hybrid that makes a great playing surface for athletes – grown on soil or sand.

Tifgreen, once the standard for golf course putting greens, it is now used for high quality fairways, home lawns and even a few low use sports fields.

Honorable mention: Other grasses that have specialized uses are MiniVerde Ultra-dwarf, TifEagle Ultra-dwarf, TifDwarf, and Kurapia.

Evergreen Turf was established 23 years ago right here in Arizona. We now have operations in New Mexico, Southwest Texas, and California. No matter which of our farms you deal with, you can be sure that we will help you choose the right grass, for the right location, grown the right way!

For more information, go to www.evergreenturf.com.