First off I am not an expert. But your grass will need about 1" of water a week as a general rule. I do not think this will compund the rot on your trees as much as you think. But you can always designs your sprinkler head layout to not spray on your trees. You can also adjust the sprinklers (oscilating type) when they are in the ground. They come with with low flow nozzles (included with the head) to prevent the heads around the trees from putting out so much water. Just my 2 cents.

Hi Whittiergrower,

Here is my $0.02. You have a problem because the trees would need very different water requirements than the grass. 1) Bermuda grass acts like a weed and spreads by runners and seed. It will grow up to all your tree trunks unless you do frequent hand weeding. 2) Citrus trees don't like their roots constantly wet. If your trees are established and large you need to keep the lawn water well away from the drip line of your trees. 3) soil type affects the spreading pattern of your irrigation. The slower the water percolation in your soil the more sideways movement will occur affecting your trees. 4) Use a hardy ground cover that needs infrequent watering when established. Save water, money and less fertilizing and mowing 5) Use a separate water system for trees; drip comes to mind. Wait what about using artificial turf.
Good luck and aloha

Thanks for the feedback!

I agree, my mature Citrus trees currently have Foot Rot they donÂt like to be constantly wet. Artificial Turf gees is that my only option.

What grass would require the least amount of water and still look good! Bermuda is that only a dream for me? Any recommendations?

Bermuda and dream should not be used in the same sentence unless you are into self torture ;)

We planted centipede and it seems to require minimal watering, and it still looks nice. and it spreads nicely. I also notice many of the school grounds around here use it on all their big fields.

not an expert by any measure, but I'd probably donate a lung before I'd put bermuda grass ANYWHERE, EVER...it's been a nightmare for me because I have beds all around my yard not to mention that it's completely invaded every garden spot I have created. And it, the cockroaches and the kudzu will be all that's left after a nuclear bombing. Heaven help us if the bermuda and the kudzu ever decide to breed....SHUTTER

Hi rj,

You might ask this lawn type question in the lawn care forum. There are some questions to be answered to get a more detailed answer. Do you have a mini orchard and you want grass to go in between your trees? I'd use mulch instead of grass or a nitrogen fixing ground cover, but if you must have grass then there are many types of grasses. Centipede grass is excellent (finer than St. Augustine), but takes some time to grow in (sprigging method fastest) and uses less water. Since Centipede will grow so slowly an interim grass like rye is planted to give the green look but dies out when the centipede crowds in. In your zone, fescue (uses alot of water takes shade well) is a winter grass and bermuda is a summer one. Bermuda browns out in winter and is over-seeded with rye to keep the green look until warmer weather; while Fescue struggles in the hotter weather (if not shaded) and needs more water. There are other hybrids (Zoysia for one) that have varying qualities (finer or coarser feel). This discourse was to wet your grass appetite. It is not easy being a weed, I mean grass. Have fun. Aloha.

whittiergrower, "Rainbird" marketed a sprinkler head which had a number of 'stops' one could depress to either eliminate or reduce the radius of, a part of the circle. The nice thing about it was that you could do the adjustments quite easily at any time. It was also quite fun to watch the head in operation.