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Common Bermuda Grass

Features

  • Good drought and wear resistance
  • Spreads vigorously; runners can present a problem in planting beds
  • Low shade tolerance
  • Fast growing
  • Cheaper than hybrid bermudas but not nearly as nice
  • Ideal pH 6.5 to 7.0
Areas suitable for growing common bermuda grass.
 
Area Suitable for Common Bermuda

Type Warm season When to Fertilize Spring, Summer and Fall
Light Full sun Mowing Height 1  to 2 inches
    Planting Method Seed

COMMON BERMUDA IN THE LANDSCAPE
Common bermuda is both naughty and nice. It aggressively invades flower and shrub beds and produces a huge, uncontrollable crop of seeds. On the plus side, common bermuda will persist for decades with little care, and it is a prime candidate for overseeding with perennial ryegrass if you want a "wintergreen" lawn. It can take heavy wear better than most other grasses. Common bermuda is green from late spring until frost and is light brown when it is dormant in winter. A tough grass, it is commonly mixed with bahia for roadside and other utility plantings in the Deep South. Easy to grow, common bermuda is quick to fill out and forms a deep green lawn.
Bermuda needs full sun and minimal shade. Common bermuda needs full sun to form a tight turf. Shade makes it thin and weedy.
Bermuda is drought-resistant. Water periodically. A common bermuda lawn will survive periodic droughts. Water only when dry spells last longer than two weeks.
Proper fertilizer will promote dense bermuda growth. Common bermuda responds dramatically to being properly fed. Fertilize it right and your common bermuda will "knit" itself into a strong turf that naturally resists weeds.

BEAUTIFUL COMMON BERMUDA, SEASON BY SEASON
You can have a beautiful common bermuda lawn by following an easy Step-by-Step Program. Together with proper mowing and watering, these measures will help common bermuda grow strong and healthy. Common bermuda spreads by above-ground stems called stolons and spreading roots called rhizomes. Because it is such a fast spreader, you will need to be vigilant in keeping it out of flower or shrub borders. Wayward common bermuda is easiest to dig out in winter, when it is dormant.

SEASONAL STEP-BY-STEP PROGRAM
Follow the directions below for help on restoring and maintaining common bermuda. To get weed problems under control, follow the Step-by-Step Program shaded in yellow.  If your lawn is already in good condition, follow the Step-by-Step Program shaded in green. You can start either program during any season, but the key is to complete a full year.   After a year you will see marked improvements in your lawn.  When applying any lawn care products, always read the entire label first and follow directions.   Be especially careful with weed killers and use only products labeled for use on bermuda.
Restoring Common Bermuda
Maintaining Common Bermuda

Step 1: Apply in late winter

  • Crabgrass Preventer (without fertilizer)


Step 1: Apply in late winter or early spring

  • Lime (only if needed to raise pH)

Step 2: Apply in early spring

  • Lawn Weed Control

Step 2: Apply in late spring or early summer

  • Lawn Fertilizer
  • Insect Control, if needed


Step 3: Apply in late spring

  • Lawn Fertilizer
  • Insect Control, if needed

Step 3: Apply in late summer or early fall

  • Winterizer or Winter Conditioner
  • Insect Control, if needed


Step 3: Apply in late summer

  • Winterizer or Winter Conditioner
  • Insect Control, if needed


Step 4: Apply in fall

  • Lime (only if needed to raise pH)


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Crabgrass Preventer Keeps crabgrass seeds and other grassy weeds from germinating. Crabgrass Preventer with Dimension® keeps on killing crabgrass up to 4 weeks after it sprouts.  Dimension® also prevents the sprouting of many broadleaf weeds, such as spurge, chickweed, and henbit.
Lawn Weed and Feed Kills broadleaf weeds that are actively growing. For best results apply it when weeds are still young and vigorously growing. Don’t wait. Mowing a couple of days before applying will help stimulate new growth of older weeds.
Lawn Fertilizer Should contain a combination of fast-release nitrogen to green the lawn quickly and timed-release nitrogen to feed grass for up to 2 or 3 months.
Lime Raises the pH of soil that is too acidic. Easy Lime® is an easy-to-use, granular lime that is not as dusty as ordinary lime.
Winterizer, or Winter Conditioner Contains timed-release nitrogen and extra potassium to help lawns endure winter stress and green up quickly in spring.
Insect Control Is important for the control of white grubs, fleas, cutworms, and other major lawn pests. If these have been a problem in your lawn, apply Insect Control early, while the pests are still young. You can also apply Insect Control Plus Fertilizer to combine feeding and control in one easy application.

TIPS FOR BETTER COMMON BERMUDA
  • Always use a fertilizer spreader to spread lawn care products evenly. If you apply weed and feed use a drop-type spreader at the edge of flower and shrub beds for accurate application. A broadcast spreader can throw weed killer into the planting where it may cause damage.

  • Limit wear of the lawn in winter when it is dormant. Worn spots become prime places for weeds.
  • Never mow too close when bermuda is not actively growing or you can invite problems with weeds. If the lawn is stressed by drought, mow less often and raise the mowing height to 2 inches.

  • If more than a 1/2-inch layer of thatch is present (thatch is dead stems and debris that accumulate at the soil's surface), thin and clean your bermuda with a power rake in spring or early summer after new growth begins. You can have this done professionally or do it yourself with rented equipment.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Working with Common Bermuda

Because common bermuda's aggressive reputation is so well known, few people plant it as a lawngrass. More often you just have it because it is what covers the ground for miles in every direction. With the imminent threat of new seeds coming into your lawn from surrounding areas, it may be futile to try to get rid of a common bermuda lawn. Some grass killers and nonselective herbicides will kill back common bermuda for a season, but underground rhizomes usually survive and the grass comes back within a year or two. Products labeled for bermuda control are intended for use in ornamental beds and groundcovers rather than in lawns. So, instead of trying to get rid of your bermuda, look for opportunities to make the most of your situation.

Because common bermuda has long stems that leave small spaces between crowns, it is an ideal grass to overseed with perennial ryegrass in the fall. Handled this way, a common bermuda lawn can look very good through the winter months. Start this project in early fall. Begin by mowing the bermuda very close to the ground. This "scalping" would damage a more refined turfgrass, but not common bermuda. Rake off all debris, working your rake vigorously to expose the soil's surface. Then sow perennial ryegrass seed. If you like to mow, you can use annual ryegrass for this purpose. In warm climates, the ryegrass will die back soon after the bermuda begins growing again in late spring.
Turfgrass care tips courtesy of
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