Skip to main content

Bermuda grass in the lawn in USA, winter care tips, overseeding, aeration, mowing, and brown spots(dormant)

Bermuda grass is one of the native grass in the USA for lawns and Golf fields. It is spongy, fast-growing, dark green grass that like higher temperatures. Even direct sunlight of 6 to 10 hours doesn't damage Bermuda grass if you maintain proper moisture. 

Bermuda grass can invade all the empty nearer areas on the lawn or in empty fields if it gets proper moisture and direct sunlight.  

Let's understand Bermuda grass and its performance in various seasons on lawn and golf fields.

Bermuda grass lawn and care in winter in USA

Let's understand the behaviour of Bermuda grass in various seasons throughout the year first-

Bermuda grass in winter

In even climate conditions(mostly summer), Bermuda grass grows almost the same during the winter season(12 to 15 degrees Celcius). In odd climates, it is challenging to remain green throughout the year for Bermuda grass. 

Bermuda grass growing in USA

In cold winters, Bermuda grass get dormant and starts to turn into brown grass which is called dry Bermuda grass. Generally, Bermuda grass doesn't grow comfortably below 8 degrees Celcius.

During the winter, it remains brown and looks dry but doesn't get die mostly. So you don't need to worry about its color because, next summer, it will turn green and spongy once again. It asks for a few treatments and irrigation, after that it will grow for the next 8 months without getting any brown color.  TruGreen lawn care services

Bermuda grass in summer

Although we know now that Bermuda grass is like direct sunlight but it doesn't mean that it can grow without proper irrigation. Bermuda grass can stretch low moisture growth for a period but after a limit, it starts to get dry and brown. It stops the growth and dies in the end. 

You can also read 

Early morning is the best period for irrigation in Bermuda grass. Generally, Bermuda grass like higher temperatures from 28 to 40 degrees Celcius. 

Best way to grow Bermuda grass

Now, let's understand how many ways we can grow Bermuda grass on the lawn. But before the process of growing, you should understand the requirements first-

Requirements to grow Bermuda grass

Following are basic requirements to grow Bermuda grass in lawn-

Tools requirements

Following are some important and basic tools for growing Bermuda grass on the lawn-

  • Mowing machine
  • Leaf rake
  • Spreader
  • Shovel

Soil type and pH

Although Bermuda grass can grow in acidic soil only that has a pH from 5.9 to 6.4 but by reducing the pH of alkaline soil, we still can grow Bermuda grass on the lawn. Generally, we use well-draining soil or loamy soil for Bermuda grass on the lawn. 

But other soils may be useful if they have proper drainage and are easy to reduce their pH to acidic. 

There are two ways to grow Bermuda grass on the lawn- 

Process of Bermuda grass from seeds

If you have proper conditions for Bermuda grass growing(spring season), then you should start growing Bermuda grass in the containers from seeds. 

  • First, you need to prepare a fertile soil mixture for that. If your soil is not acidic, then make it acidic first with the help of sulfur.
  • Take a wide plastic container to grow a portion of Bermuda grass. You can choose your rooftop for the initial growth to transplantation stage. 
  • Now, take garden soil with vermicompost and coco-peat in a 50:30:20 respectively. 
  • Fill the soil up to 60% in the container and don't push it hard. 
  • Sprinkle the seeds over the soil and cover them with a thin layer(1 inch) of the same soil mixture. 50-gram seeds are enough for a 10x10 square feet area. 
  • Spray some water and keep it in direct sunlight. 
  • When Grass starts to germinate, let it grow up to 4 inches.
  • Keep your lawn ready for the transplantation of Bermuda grass plants. You can make soil fertile and acidic on the lawn but don't use sensitive fertilizers too early. 
  • Then after, transplant them to your lawn at some distance. It will cover all the empty areas of your lawn soon. 
  • Once your grassroots get stronger, keep the irrigation regular. 
You can also read

Turf plantation of Bermuda grass

Turf plantation is easier than seed plantation of Bermuda grass. 

Before planting the market Bermuda grass turf, you need to prepare the soil on the lawn already. For that, you need to follow the basic instructions as you followed with seeds. 

  • Keep the turfs in the sunlight before planting them but irrigate their roots perfectly till the time. 
  • Don't let the lawn soil be tight and hard until you do plantation of turfs. 
  • Now, take the sections of turf and put them in the right spots. Repeat the process with each turf. 
  • Now, irrigate them properly. Let them be in direct sunlight for at least 5 to 6 hours. 
  • In 8 to 10 days, the turf Bermuda grass adopts the conditions of your lawn and starts to keep their root tight in the lawn soil. 
  • After three weeks, you can treat them as regular Bermuda grass lawns and start mowing. 
  • Keep the irrigation and mowing regularly. 

Bermuda grass overseeding and aeration

  • Overseeding

Overseeding is a method in which we use more than the required seeds to avoid a low germination rate. Overseeding doesn't mean that we make thick layers of seeds in the soil but it covers the soil totally with a single layer of seeds.  

Bermuda-grass-lawn-in-USA

The purpose of overseeding Bermuda grass is to get thick and continuous growth of grass. Sometimes, the average seeding rate doesn't sprout enough grass and empty areas convert either into brown patches or remain blank. 

Overseeding timing is very important. Generally, the best time for overseeding Bermuda grass is the spring season because it can take time to get full and faster growth in the upcoming summer season. 

  • Aeration

The aeration process is one of the factors in the healthier growth of lawn grass. Every lawn grass needs to absorb water and nutrients properly. Continuous walking and no weeding in the soil make it hard so it reduces the chances of sending moisture and nutrients deep into the soil. 

Aeration is a process of making very thin holes in the soil with the help of sharp tools. The purpose is to not disturb the roots of the grass and make minor holes to release extra air from the soil. 

Ideal best height for Bermuda grass

Bermuda grass can be taller than 5 inches and its roots grow even longer. Too long height of Bermuda grass is not good for the lawn for multiple reasons. Longer Bermuda grass looks ugly on the lawn, not easy to walk, not ideal for sunlight absorption, etc. 

It is good to keep your lawn Bermuda grass 1.5 to 2.5 inches long. You can take to even 1 to 1.5 inches long too in summer. Regular mowing and maintaining proper height improve the growth and thickness of grass on the lawn.

Mowing of Bermuda grass

Bermuda grass mowing is important for a particular purpose. On the lawn, Bermuda grass mows every 8 to 10 days. It grows faster on the lawn and covers all the areas where it finds soil. It is important to mow the boundaries of Bermuda grass properly so that they can't grow out of the lawn. 

In the bigger field(like golf), Bermuda grass can invade all the ground area but equal mowing is very important too. 

In summer, as Bermuda grass grows faster, we mow Bermuda grass multiple times a month.

In even climate conditions, you can mow Bermuda grass once a month but not necessarily every month during winters. In too cold regions, you don't need to mow Bermuda grass throughout the winter. Just mow 1 week before starting of winter so that even low sunlight can help grassroots in winter.

Tips for Bermuda grass care in winter

In winter,  Bermuda grass gets dormant on most of the lawns. If the overall temperature does not fall below 20 degrees Celcius then there are chances that Bermuda grass can get color between brown and green in full sunlight access in winter. 

Following are some tips to care for Bermuda lawn in winter-

  • Don't fertilize your Bermuda grass lawn in winter. 
  • Don't aerate, overseed, or mow your lawn till the next spring season. 
  • Don't use heavy fertilizers and strong weed removals in the fall. 
  • Reduce the irrigation in winter. If you get full sunlight access for 1 week continuously, then you can irrigate the Bermuda lawn with 20% water. 
  • Don't lose patience if Bermuda grass gets dormant because you can recover it easily next spring. 
  • Weed makes brown spots on the lawn in winter as they get dry. It becomes hard to distinguish between dormant grass and weeds in winter. 
  • Don't run heavy human walking traffic on dormant Bermuda grass lawn otherwise, it can destroy the lawn grass.
  • With the start of winter, you can leave your Bermuda lawn as it is. 
  • In mid-winter, you can irrigate once a month with 25% water in sunlight. 
  • Don't use strong fertilizers and weed removals at the end of the winter. 

Brown spots Bermuda grass 

People think when green Bermuda grass becomes brownish then it complete its age. That's not 100% true. Although the brown color of Bermuda grass is a stage from where it can be dead. 

In winter, it is normal that green Bermuda grass to turn brown and dry. But after season change and proper treatment, it starts to green once again and gets a quick growth after a time. 

Brown spots in Bermuda grass is the stage when you can either treat or recover the Bermuda grass from the same plants. Once your lawn Bermuda grass is dead, you have to clean it and start from the beginning. 

Bermuda grass can die because of many reasons. Very low moisture for a longer period, 24x7 shady atmosphere, no proper fertility in the soil, overuse of pesticides, and no proper transplantation are some of the main reasons that cause green Bermuda grass dead. 

Bermuda grass price in the USA

Although there are multiple varieties of Bermuda grass seeds available on the market. Some of them are hybrid and some of them are odd for particular climate conditions. It is better to keep these things in mind before buying either turf or seeds for your lawn of Bermuda grass. 

Seed price- US$15 to US$24/pound

Turf price- US$7/square foot to US$12/SF

Popular posts from this blog

Spirulina farming, project report per 1/4th acre, investment, profit per 1/4th acre, and challenges

There are very less veg options available that have the same or higher percentage of protein than meat. Spirulina is high in protein, quality diet, high in minerals, and we can consume them without cooking. Often, people call it future food.  There are very less farms of spirulina farming so its market price is very high. The spirulina farming business will become more profitable in the future. Let's understand the spirulina farming and project report for 1/4th acre. Spirulina farming  What is spirulina? Spirulina is a sea algae. Spirulina contains one of the highest percentages of protein in all diets. Vitamin B, K, antioxidants, and amino acid are some of the other major components of spirulina. One you start spirulina farming, you can harvest for next 5 months without adding or preparing any new culture.  There are two types of spirulina; human consumption and animal consumption.  We can harvest animal spirulina in the open-air pond but for human consumption, we use either a pol

45 days chicken(broiler) business plan, requirements, license, investment, and profit calculations

With the increasing demand for chicken in the market, it was always difficult to raise chicken faster. In 3 months period, poultry farms' reach was not effective in all the places. But 45 days chicken business plan fulfills the requirement, demand, and supply in the market of chicken.  Let's understand how 45 days chicken poultry farm works and what are the requirements to have a poultry farm. 45 days chicken(Broiler) business plan What is poultry farm business of 45 days? Broiler chickens are one of the fastest-growing chickens. The main reason for the short-term 45 days chicken business plan is demand and supply in the market. Chicken demand is so huge in the market. If we follow poultry farms with more than 3 months of breeds, then it can affect the stability of chickens in the market. It can increase inflation.  One more thing to starting 45 days chicken farm is because it gives a faster profit margin to the owner. Also, 45 days chicken farm is good to raise and handle a hu

Planter machine in agriculture, sections, types of planter machine, and working process

It is a big problem to sow seeds precisely. Sometimes, we scatter multiple seeds in a single spot, sometimes, spots are left empty. Also, it is hard to keep the line-to-line distance and plant-to-plant distance accurate all the time in bigger lands. This irregularity with seed sowing is very common but a big problem in traditional crop cultivation. In small fields, it is possible to check the regular pattern of seed sowing but in big hectares of land, it is almost impossible to count the regularity of seeds at the right spot.  Planter machines are very helpful to solve the problem. Let's understand the working of planter machines and their types. Planter machines in agriculture Planter machines help to sow seeds precisely in agricultural fields. It works automatically in multiple sections and maintains the line to line distance and seed to seed distance with correct accuracy. Planter machines operate from diesel and petrol.  Most of the planter machines are available as complementa

Hydroponic farming setup cost, subsidy, investment and profit margin in India

Some people get suddenly excited by hearing the thumbnail or profit margin that people claim in hydroponic farming. Such people easily become ready to start their own hydroponic farming business at the commercial level. But sadly they don't know the truth of training, setup, investment, and profit margin in hydroponic farming. It is better to get at least a practical idea to start a hydroponic farming business.  The following will help you to get an idea of investment and setup cost(initial and per cycle) in hydroponic farming.  When we talk about Hydroponic farming, we can relate it with  eco-friendly methods of agriculture. Hydroponic farming setup cost/investment in India Hydroponic farming is soil-less vertical farming that is very helpful in urban agriculture. We use water mixture minerals necessary requirements that plants need. We don't use soil in hydroponic farming. Even in a small space, we can practice hydroponic farming.   Its like similar to the working of in a  pr

Onion farming yield per hectare, investment, and profit per hectare

In countries like India, there are several reasons of vary in onion prices. Before mentioning those reasons, let's understand the basic principle of it. Onion farming profit depends on quality of  onions, yield, and the demand of onions in market. If onion is enough in market then profit will be little lesser and vice versa. In India, every year hundreds of quintals of onions waste because of storage and management lack.    To understand the onion yield in a hectare land, first you have to understand structure and project of cultivation.  Onion farming yield per hectare In 1 Hectare(10000 square meters) agriculture land, produced onions yield most of the time varies. This number can't be certain all the time but there is a range between 100 to 120 quintals/hectare/yield.   Let's understand how this number can calculate or report direct from the cultivation side.  Configuration of onion plants Line to line, plant distance must be near 25 to 30 cm, plant to plant distance mus