Geographic Zones: Bermudagrass is a perennial, warm-season tropical lawn and pasture grass that grows best in the southern states where it is quite popular as a landscaping turf. Its growing range includes Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and through the areas from Arkansas to Virginia and Maryland to Southern Florida.
Water Requirements: Being a very drought resistant grass, Bermuda doesn't need much water to survive in most environments. 1-2 inches a week is recommended to maintain a good growth. However, if water is lacking, it will become dormant and go off-color but it will regain its proper coloring quickly after water is supplied.
When to Plant: Late spring or early summer is the best time to plant a Bermuda grass lawn. As a rule, you want to plant after the soil temperatures have reached 65-70 degrees or higher and there is absolutely no risk of a freeze or frost occurring soon after planting. A rule that we use around here is to plant Bermuda seed when the night time temperatures are a consistent 54 degrees
Light Requirements: This turf type is very intolerant of shade and should be planted in full sun areas. Areas with less than 70% full sun will often cause grass-cover to thin.
Recommended Mowing Height: For the most part, Bermudagrass is mowed to a height of around 3/8 inch to 1 ½ inches, thought height for this type of grass is really a matter of personal preference. It is important to note, however, that the lower the grass is cut, the more maintenance will be required.
Fertilizer Requirements: Proper fertilization of Bermudagrass can be determined by performing a soil test each season to check for pH levels and nitrogen in the soil. In general, supplying a good amount of nitrogen during the active growth months will provide you with a healthy lawn.
Best Places to Use: This grass type can be used in a variety of situations, such as lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and any other kind of high traffic area. It can also be used to help prevent soil erosion and in pastures. Thanks to its high salt tolerance, it thrives in coastal areas as well.
Common Diseases: No specific diseases affect this lawn type
Common Pests: The only major pest threat to Bermuda is that of Pearl Scale. Since they feed on the roots of the plant, insecticide can be difficult to use and are generally not very effective against them. Its recommended that, to avoid Pearl Scale infestations, you plant a variety of Bermudagrass that is naturally resistant to them.
Soil PH: The ideal pH level for this grass is 6.5-7.0.
Special Advantages:
- Easy to start from seed
- Does very well in full sun
- Does well in high temperature regions
- Establishes quickly
- Survives in many types of soils, from sandy to clay
- Grows well in infertile, dry soils
- Drought Resistant
- High disease and insect resistance (excpet to nematodes)
- Handles high traffic and grazing well
- Can be mowed low
- Aggressive growth helps prevent weed growth
Special Problems:
- Due to aggressive runners, Bermuda often invades flower beds and other non-grassy areas
- Doesn’t grow well in shady areas
- In temperatures of 50-60 degrees or lower, it often goes dormant, turning a yellow-brownish color
