Bermuda Grass – Is it Wonderful or a Weed?

We are all familiar with Bermuda grass.  It thrives in our Central Valley climate.  Bermuda is a strong lawn choice in the Valley as it can take the heat and tolerate moderately low levels of irrigation.  If you are trying to grow Bermuda as a lawn grass you probably like the fact that you can treat it sparingly and it will survive, or you can water, fertilize, and mow on a regular basis and it will provide you with a good looking lawn for years to come. 

Bermuda grass does have its limitations though.  It tolerates almost no shade and it goes dormant in the winter months leaving a tan landscape of dead leaves and stems. It has no ability to compete with winter weeds as it lies dormant making it a mottled mess if no measures are taken to prevent the weeds.  Bermuda is very invasive and able to mend open spots through rhizomes and stolons. Surprisingly it does not out-compete crabgrass though.  Keeping Bermuda in bounds and out of the nearby flowerbeds and the neighbor’s tall fescue lawn is a challenge as well.

A weed is a plant out of place.  This describes Bermuda when it is growing in what is supposed to be a tall fescue, bluegrass, or ryegrass lawn (or flower bed).  During the summer months Bermuda grass can progressively invade a lawn unnoticed as both the grasses are fully green.  As temperatures drop and the Bermuda becomes dormant, the realization of the damage is fully seen.  The key to managing the Bermuda population is to identify it early and take steps to suppress it with Turflon or spot-treat it with Roundup and reseed or sod. Applications should be applied to actively growing plants from April – September.  Once the Bermuda makes up more than 25% of the grass mix you can live with it and let it go, or at some point, kill off areas and start over.  Bermuda is not easy to kill once established, even with multiple applications of Roundup.

If you have a Bermuda lawn and it receives plenty of sunshine, I think it makes a great lawn. It should receive regular feeding, watering, mowing, and necessary weed control throughout the year.  If you have it and you love it, but the trees have grown and the shade is so heavy that you have more dirt than grass, it is time to change grasses or shrink the shape of the lawn to what areas are growing well.  If you have Bermuda and hate it and want tall fescue instead, you will need to apply Roundup 3-4 times over a period of 2-3 months starting in August.  After putting in the new lawn you will need to watch carefully for emerging Bermuda stolons and treat every 2-3 weeks with Turflon to suppress the Bermuda selectively. 

If you have any lawn questions please call Weed Man at 559-266-1624, visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com or check out our Facebook page at Facebook.com/fresnoweedman