I have a very shady yard with only tall fescue. It looks great March through June and october through December but it is a ton of work to keep it looking so good. You can make it work but be prepared to water everyday in the summer ($$$$)and continue to water at least every 3-4 days in the winter. the fescue that gets alot of sun will not make it through the summer, period. Also, it is not good if you have alot of foot traffic. Bermuda grass is much more acclimated to the Phoenix area. If you fertilize and water once a week or more it will look great all summer.

K-31 will not make it during the summer. But the good news is the Bermuda will. Even if you try to kill it off it will come back unless you keep after it for the first few years and then it still might come back

Either get used to Bermuda or be prepared for the cost of high maintenance landscaping unless you like rocks and plants. There are some options in the Bermuda grass. There are a lot of new hybrids available. These have much finer blades with fewer runners etc. A good number of grasses that have been touted as a low maintenance option donÂt stand up to heavy use like dogs and kids and some, like Buffle Grass are being discussed for addition to the invasive species list. St. Augustine is tough, but itÂs like walking on knife blades in your bare feet. I have a fair amount of lawn, too much for a desert state like Arizona but when you have kids and dogs you want a place for them to run and play. If you visit any one of the bazillion golf courses around here you will see that Bermuda can look good, takes a lot less water and maintenance that almost anything else and as it has been pointed out, is almost indestructible and impossible to get rid of because everybody else has it, so eventually, you will too.

You may want to plant UC Verde Buffalo grass and let it take over.

When I moved here from Los Angeles, I wanted to have a lawn, but what to do about the burgeoning drought/water shortages that will only get worse? I ripped out my lawn in so.cal, but had no alternative then to fill in except xerascape. All the turfs suck up far too much water. Faced with a new climate here in Phoenix, could I have grass and a clear conscience, too?

Yep, with UC Verde Buffalo (in plugs-inexpensive and EASY to install-took me 30 minutes to do 300 square feet on my own). Uses 75% less water than a traditional turf as it is based on a cultivar of the only native grass in the states (Texas origin) and was developed especially for the lower Phoenix valley and the drier, hotter parts of so. cal. PLUS, it's soft and beautiful and can be mowed into a luscious turf.

Here's a link to where we got it and learned so much. Check it out!

It's a viable, soon-to-be hot, alternative to bermuda and the like.

Enjoy!

Here is a link that might be useful: Todd Valley Farms for UC Verde BGrass