Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass that is tolerant of heat and drought and thrives in maximum sunshine. The turf originally came from Africa, then spread all around the Atlantic Ocean, and therefore is thought to have found its way from Bermuda to the United States, thus its name is this. It has been one of the most predominant grass varieties in the southern United States since arriving in America.
Bermuda grass spreads rapidly making the sod and seeds cheaper than other varieties of turf. However, rapid growth also means more regular mowing, one downside to Bermuda grass.
Blades of natural Bermuda are dense, flat and smooth. Bermuda grass stems grow quickly by rhizomes and stolons.
Rhizomes seem to be runners that grow just below ground while stolons rise above the ground. They’re both stems that grow grass shoots. Because rhizomes and stolons can disperse far, Bermudagrass can easily invade garden beds and lawns.
The blades of hybrid varieties of Bermuda grass can indeed be smoother and thinner, but now all Bermuda is identifiable by its colour.
The grass looks bright green or grey-green since it grows, but may turn into brown easily as it starts to grow dormant. Bermuda might go dormant as soon as temperatures cool throughout the fall earlier than some other warm-season grasses and remain dormant longer. Grass can be green following heavy rain mostly in spring as temperatures exceed 60-65 degrees or even above.
Bermuda grass thrives in warm climates with direct sunshine, but it doesn’t do so well in the shade. Homeowners can observe brown patches of grass under shade trees and decks whereas the rest of the lawn is completely green. If the lawn is completely shaded, Bermuda grass is perhaps not the right choice of turf for this kind of property. Let’s dig out How to Care for Bermuda Grass easily.
How to care for Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass is comparatively easy to take care of, particularly if you take care of the turf a few times a year. You might have the most colourful, most gorgeous lawn mostly on the block by mowing, aerating, watering, and fertilizing your grass as necessary!
Mowing
Bermudagrass grows rapidly, requiring frequent mowing, particularly during the rainy seasons.
Follow these simple and effective tips to keep your Bermuda grass protected, healthy and weed-free.
Try to mow every 1-2 weeks as required.
Keep grass blades 1/2 inch to 2 inches in length. You should not cut more than 1/3 of the blade of grass to avoid pressure.
Your initial mow should have been in mid-March, after the last freeze of winter, when the temperature of such soil is 55 degrees or above.
Your first mow just after winter should then below to clear dead or damaged turf.
Keep going to mow in the spring, summer, and fall before the first frost of the fall, or until the grass is dormant.
Sodding
The perfect period to plant the grass of Bermuda is now in the spring following the last frost of the year (around mid-March).
If you’re starting with a new lawn, that’s when you’re going to add turf. Allow one entire warm season (spring to fall) for all the sod to just be rooted in your lawn before even being aerated.
Learn more: When can you overseed Bermuda?
Sod generally comprises a hybrid of various Bermuda grass varieties, while Bermudagrass seeds are even more typical Bermuda grass. Because of this disparity in grass species, we do not suggest overseeding the Bermuda lawn.
Aerating
Compacted soil due to excessive foot traffic, silt and clay will compact the grass, blocking sunlight, nutrients and water from reaching the root of the turf. This might lead to constricted growth, weeds, and pest attacks in Bermuda grass lawns.
Aerating can help loosen the compacted soil, allowing the roots to obtain nutrients. Bermuda grass should indeed be aerated once or twice a year in late spring or early summer to prevent the grass from drying up and continue the grass green and growing.
Fertilization
Fertilization is a simple way to give the lawn the fertilizer it lacks, which will help the lawn flourish completely and combat weeds and disease.
Get your soil examined at your nearest extension office or do some soil test at your own home.
The findings of the soil test will reveal what nutrients your soil lacks as well as what fertilizer it requires.
Fertilize Bermuda grass 2-4 times a year, between March and November, depending on the findings of the soil test.
Bermuda also lacks nitrogen, which means that the implementations are likely to be heavy with nitrogen. Sometimes 2-4 pounds of nitrogen 1,000 square feet per year would have to be applied to the Bermuda lawns. The amount of nitrogen required and how much to add will vary depending on the outcome of your position and soil testing.
Watering
Bermuda grass doesn’t always require as much water as certain other grass varieties, but it can also benefit from water.
During the spring (March-May) and fall (September-November), bermudagrass can then be watered whether there’s an unforeseen hot dry season and even if the grass is rolling and withering.
Try giving your lawn a minimum of 1.25 inches of watering every week during the season. We suggest watering for 2-4 hours every third day only if there is no rain forecast.
Watergrass mostly in the morning to prevent grass from burning.
Bermuda Grass Weeds and Diseases
Like other turfs, the grass of Bermuda is vulnerable to some weeds and diseases which flourish in warm-season grasses. Proper care of the lawn, such as fertilizing and aerating, can allow Bermuda grass to fight weeds and grass diseases.
There are a lot of weeds that can flourish in Bermudagrass. Depending on where you live as well as what weeds are found in your field, you can see crabgrass, annual bluegrass, clover, spruce, or nutsedge in your lawn.
The best way to combat the weeds in your lawn is to keep them from rising. Applying 1 or 2 pre-emergent herbicide treatments in the spring and 1-2 in the fall will enable Bermuda grass to combat invasive weeds. Pre-emergents comprise weed control that prevents weeds from spreading over the surface and onto your yard.
If you have skipped the pre-emergent application window and grow weeds in your yard, a post-emergent herbicide labelled for that plant will help to control the weed.
Disease Control
Lawn diseases will easily devastate the lawn due to the spread of bacteria and fungi. Fungal infections such as dollar spot, strong patch fungus, as well as spring dead mark can indeed be found in Bermuda grass, particularly in lawns that have not been properly drained or aerated.
Like herbicides for plant control, fungicides may be used for the treatment and prevention of lawn disease in Bermuda grass. Read the Fungicide Guide to know and understand when fungicides are required, how to choose the right fungicide for your lawn, and the different treatment methods necessary.
Control of Bermuda Grass Pest
Some several common insects and bugs are found among Bermuda grass lawns.
Healthy lawns that have been carefully monitored can help to minimize pest infestations, but cannot fully stop or remove pests, particularly mostly from neighbouring lawns or plants moved into the yard.
Bermudagrass mites, crickets, ants, chiggers, ticks, armyworms, and grasshoppers are among some of the pests many of which are present in Bermuda grass, but sod worms, Japanese beetles, and white grubs can also do the most harm.
Insecticides branded for turf pests might help to control pest infestation which can then be used preventively, particularly whenever you notice a pest year after year. Milky Spore is indeed a natural way to handle white grubs, and it would also take a few applications over two years for seeing the main outcome.
Bottom line
Bermuda grass is comparatively easy to take care of, particularly if you take care of the turf a few times a year. You might have the most colourful, most gorgeous lawn mostly on the block by mowing, aerating, watering, and fertilizing your grass as necessary! Hope you got a very clear idea of How to Care for Bermuda Grass.