Dead Seedlings

kcr6419 – posted 11 May 2006 22:10

I’m in the Charlotte, NC area. I planted some Yukon Bermuda a month an a half ago when the temperatures were abnormally in the 80s. They germinated in about 5 days and were doing great.

Then about a week later, the temps dropped to the 40s at night and 50s and 60 during the days for about a week or so. Half the seedlings died. The other half were doing fine then most of them died. The temperatures have been abnormally low since they sprouted.

Is this normal? Did the cold nights kill them?

I planted the same Yukon bermuda last year late in the summer and they did GREAT!

I’m afraid to try to plant the rest as this seed is expensive and I don’t want to lose the seedlings again.

Should I wait until the temps are going to be in the high 70s, low 80s again?

Thanks!

wrangler – posted 12 May 2006 06:13

Sorry to hear you are haveing problems.

Bermudagrass is tropical plant that we have genitically manipulated for the past century Through all of the breeding improvements small seedling still do not prefer soils below 65 degrees F.

Looking back you may have planted too early(hind-site is 20-20) subjecting small seedlings to seedling diseases ei. fusarium, pythium etc. which devolope rapidly in cool wet soil.

I would feel comfortable planting the bare spots again to Yukon when soil temp is a stable 65 + and a warming trend is forecasted.

Good luck

kcr6419 – posted 12 May 2006 11:20

Thanks for the info. I jumped the gun with all the warm weather we were having. I saw 10 straight days in the 80s with full sun and forgot it was only March still when I planted!

Now we should be in the high 70s during the day but we’re barely breaking mid 60s!

I’ll wait until the soil temps get higher before I try again.

Thanks again!

okgrassguy – posted 12 May 2006 12:35

Jumping the gun on bermuda seeding seems to be an epidemic