Growing Great Bermuda Grass

Anyone wanting a lawn that is heat and drought tolerant should consider Bermuda grass. It's a weed and wear resistant turf that has minimal watering needs. Combined with it's fine to medium blades it's a near ideal choice for southern home owners packing plenty of kids and pets to put it to the test.

This easy care strain fares well with the least bit of attention. You'll want to attend to any thatch buildup you see as well as make use of a core aerator each spring as your grass emerges from its dormancy. This will make deeper water penetration easier.

Despite it's reputation for drought resistance, if you water it regularly Bermuda grass will take off. Naturally you'll want to water deeply at about an inch each time to stimulate the development of deep roots. Doing so will enable your lawn to withstand dry periods that much better.

If you want a nice tight turf that can tolerate heavy traffic you'll want your Bermuda grass to get full sun. Simply put it should not be used on a shady site as it's not shade tolerant. So don't be disappointed it you plant it under trees and end up with grass that is thin and spindly.

When it comes to the height to mow at shorter is better. When it is vigorously growing in the summer cut off about of third of the blade length keeping it at an inch or so high. If you get out the mower a couple times a week you should be rewarded with a dense even looking lawn.

As a warm season grass, fertilizing starts once it starts growing again and has greened up about half way at least. Feeding then will give your grass a needed boost. You'll also want to feed again each fall. Typically you want to lay on the nitrogen at a rate of a pound or two per year for each thousand square feet of grass.

Weeds don't stand much of a chance here. Once established Bermuda grass can hold its own without much help from you. Then too, mowing regularly will keep weeds from gaining a foot hold by eliminating their flower heads as doing so prevents them from going to seed.

As the seasons change, don't be surprised if your Bermuda grass takes on a brownish cast as it goes dormant. Those that prefer green grass will over seed with perennial rye and not miss a beat. Others enjoy the break from mowing and will just wait for warmer weather to rejuvenate their lawn to its prior luster.

Warm season Bermuda grass is popular because it has many desirable traits homeowners covet.. You will find it to be very hardy, durable and resilient. Plus being heat-loving it requires relatively little supplemental water once it has become established. One other plus is it can usually fed off the encroachment of weeds without help from you.

As a lifelong lawn lover author Dewey J Capasso has ridden a lawn tractor or two. From his experience he can also advise you as to the best zero turn mowers, talk about the good points of electric mowers and suggest ways to get rid of the moles that have taken up residence in your backyard.

Tags: warm season grass