Bermudagrass A Top Contender For Your Home Turf

Common Bermudagrass is frequently used on home lawns because of how easy it is to maintain and it can easily be grown from seed or sprigs. This type of grass makes an excellent turf if maintained properly. It's drought resistant and tolerant of many types of soil. Although it produces unattractive sparse seedheads it makes for an excellent choice in high traffic areas. There are also newer hybrid variations that offer even more in the way of benefits.

Bermudagrass known as C. dactylon, thrives in the warmer regions of the United States and over 100 countries in subtropical and tropical regions of the world. Experts believe it originated in Africa and was introduced to North America during the colonial period. Although there is very little information recorded about the introduction of Bermudagrass, it was listed in historical periodicals dating back to 1807 as one of the principal grasses in the southern US states. Because of its ability to withstand high traffic and dense sod formation it makes an excellent choice for sports fields, parks and golf courses.

This variety of grass prefers full sun and high temperatures. It is drought resistant and very durable. It is easily planted from seed, although it produces a rougher texture then the sod grown varieties that were originally the only way to introduce this variety of grass into a new area. Bermudagrass is touted as one of the South's favorite grasses for homes and recreational areas. Not only does it grow in tropical and subtropical areas but some varieties also can survive and thrive in transition zone areas. Bermudagrass is also tolerant of salty water conditions and is found along the southern US coastal areas.

Due to the warm temperatures preferred by Bermudagrass, the first drop in temperature will turn the blades brown. However there are other varieties that can tolerate slightly colder areas. In warm regions though, the Bermudagrass retains a year round emerald green color. It grows very aggressively, so you must be careful to maintain a close watch on it to avoid it overrunning your flower beds or other areas of your yard. This grass can be very difficult to remove as well due to the extensive root system that develops.

Texture: Common Bermuda has a medium texture while Hybrid Bermuda is fine
Cold Tolerance: fair to good (some varieties more than others)
Shade Tolerance: poor, Bermudagrass prefers full sun
Traffic: very good
Watering: tolerates drought, but for optimal color, water weekly
Mowing height: varies between 1/2" - 2" Some newer hybrid varieties (Champion, FloraDwarf, Midlawn, Midfield, Tiffine, Tifgreen, & Tifdwarf) can be cut as low as 1/8", but are mostly suitable for putting greens.

Tips on Mowing Bermudagrass
After the danger of frost has passed you are ready for the first mowing of the season. Typically your lawn will be ready around mid-March when the temperature of the soil reaches about 55 degrees. For your first mowing of the season set your blades to a lower than normal height to remove as much of the dead top growth as you can. However, don't mow below 0.5" or you could damage the plant. Be sure to remove the clippings of this first mowing. Once the soil reaches a warmer temperature such as 60-65 degrees the lawn will turn green. Once this happens you are ready to mow at the normal height. Recommended heights are 2" for common and 1-1.5" for hybrids.

Avoid cutting your lawn by more than 1/3 when you mow, as this can case scalping and will take a long time to recover. The plant is susceptible to stress and other damage during this delicate recovery process.
Planting: seed, sod, plugs, or sprigs
Bermudagrass can be overseeded to maintain a rich green appearance throughout the winter by planting a cool season variety such as annual rye. This type of grass cannot withstand the heat of summer and will die off as the Bermudagrass takes over.

Pests: dead spot, mole crickets, sod webworms, armyworms, and dollar spot
Aeration: your bermudagrass lawn may be aerated any time during the growing season except during a drought. However, Aeration is not recommended after the lawn has gone dormant.

Hybrid Bermuda Grasses:
When compared with the common Bermuda, the hybrids are more resistant to disease. They have a greater density and better resistance to weeds. There are fewer seedheads with the hybrids and the texture of it is finer and softer with an emerald green color. Hybrid Bermudagrass does not produce a usuable seed and must be planted using sprigs and sod.

The hybrids need a bit more care than the common, to keep them attractive. You will need to be prepared for frequent fertilization, close mowing, edging and dethatching for the best appearance.

Some of the Hybrid varieties include:
Tifway (419) - dense with a dark green color and fine texture

Tifway II - dense with a dark green color, fine texture, and it tolerates colder temperatures

Tifgreen (328) - very dense with a fine texture and medium green color

Midway - dense with a dark green color and medium texture, this variety tolerates colder temperatures as well