Bermuda Grass - Lawn Keeper's Friend, Gardener's Foe

Popular in warm areas, fast growing bermuda grass can give a homeowner a bit too much of a good thing. Other than its aggressive growing, however, it is a great asset to the yard. Bermuda grass is particularly good in high traffic area.

Common bermuda grass puts out unattractive seed heads, so it must be kept mowed to stay nice-looking. Newer hybrids do not make seed so easily, and are easier to maintain. These varieties must be started by plugs or sod, since they do not make many seeds. Hybrid bermuda grass has a finer texture than the common variety.

Bermuda grass does very well in the hot months of the summer, when other grasses sometimes slowdown in growth. It is also tolerant of the cold, making it an asset year round, but it prefers sunny locations over shade.

Hybrid varieties make a superior lawn, but require frequent feeding and mowing when established in order to stay in top condition. These hybrid bermuda grasses are often used for sports fields and parks. Some can be mown as short as 1/8 inch and can be used on putting greens.

The first mowing of the year, however, should not be shorter than a half inch. It should be done when the ground is still cool but after there is any danger of a hard freeze. You should cut it shorter than normal and bag the clippings. This will remove much of the dead vegetation. The lawn will become green when the temperatures warm up. The grass can be aerated, but not when there is a drought and not when it is dormant.

To establish a bermuda grass lawn from sod, wait until the soil temperature is about 68 degrees F. You can lay the sod anytime in the spring or summer, as long as it has time to get established before winter. A good soil amendment to use before laying the sod is compost, tilled in at a rate of three or four cubic yards per 1000 square feet. The ground should then be raked free of rocks and roots, rolled gently and watered lightly.

Sod, whether of a hybrid bermuda grass or some other quality grass, comes in rolls or rectangles that are laid out on the prepared soil. They are then gently rolled. It is very important to lay out the sod as soon as possible after you acquire it. It will lose growing vigor quickly if kept around too long. Once it is laid down and trimmed, water it deeply and stay off of it for about a week. Try to use a watering system that will allow you to water the lawn without walking on it.