Burning your Bermuda Lawn

CGRuffner – posted 13 March 2002 08:53

My husband wants to burn our lawn (Bermuda). He says it will make it come back greener and thicker. It sounds like a good idea, but I’ve never heard or seen anyone else do this. He used to be a fireman and knows how to do a controlled burn so I think he can handle the fire part. I’m just worried the grass won’t come back. Does this sound like a good idea? Any thoughts?

George777 – posted 23 March 2002 08:05

Yes burning bermuda will help it come back green and awesome looking. Make sure you wont get in trouble doing this. I see alot of people in the country do this and the resualts are awesome.

GC – posted 13 May 2002 15:26

It does work very well. I burn it just before it greens up in early Spring. After burning it, I scalp it down to the dirt with my reel mower. I recommend burning it in sections by “drawing” a box around the burn area with a stream of water. Then, I light the area and it burns up to the perimeters that I wet. I repeat this process until the lawn is done. You’ll end up with the strips that were wet, but you can just go over them with your mower. By now, you’ll need to wait until next year. Good luck.

CGRuffner – posted 14 May 2002 06:04

Just wanted you to know. It worked VERY well. Grass came back greener than anyone else’s on the street. They are already wanting my husband to help them burn theirs next year!

seed – posted 15 May 2002 13:50

Don’t burn down your house or your neighbor’s house. Fire is tricky. Professionals such as CGRuffner’s husband learn the procedures for prescribed burning. Sometimes even professionals have problems. I’d rather see you sacrifice your lawn than your house, so unless you really know what you are doing, fire does not seem like a good thing to start in the yard. If you live in an incorporated area, you almost certainly need to have a permit, and probably anywhere in the County you still need to let the Fire Marshall know what’s happening.

Phil

frenchman – posted 04 June 2002 20:59

What ever you do don’t use a torch. I overseeded my bermuda with ryegrass and the only way I could burn it was with a torch. I’m not paying the price.