bahia grass care

Sonny – posted 30 June 2001 14:41

I have a very fine grass(has runners that it sends out) starting in my lawn(Argentine Bahia Grass). Last year I used roundup and resodded in those places. Is there any other procedure that anyone may suggest to help with my problem?ThanksSonny

seed – posted 01 July 2001 11:26

Sonny, it sounds like you have common bermudagrass invading your bahiagrass. There’s nothing that can be done chemically, so far as I am aware, to selectively and safely remove any grassy weed, especially bermuda, from bahiagrass, without injuring or killing the bahia.

In general, fertilization will favor the bermuda and not help the bahia as much as the bermuda. So it is good not to fertilize too much in this situation. In my experience, healthy bahiagrass can be maintained with maybe one fertilization every 4 years, and never irrigated, in level areas in South Florida. Regular fertilization and watering of bahiagrass under these conditions tends to create a weedy disaster. Bahiagrass is a wonderful grass for large sunny landscapes, and it can take some traffic. But you want a lush, dense carpet, that will respond to fertilization, pick something else.

Phil