Novice – need help with Bermuda grass

clemtgr – posted 01 May 2005 15:10

Hi folks,I am un-educated when it comes to lawn-care and looking for some help.

We live in Raleigh, NC in a .19 acre lot with 2500 sq. ft house and rest is lawn. Our builder had bermuda grass sod when we bought the house in April, 2003.

I have not taken good care of the lawn past two years, neverthless, it appears most of the lawn is ok. I am committed to taking much better care and looking for advice on the following:

– the grass doesnt seem continuous nor thick. So I am thinking of seeding on top of the lawn to make it thick and fuller. Is it advisable now? any suggestions?

– I’ve hired a EPM for fertilizer/weed control, but there’s plenty of weed on the lawn. How long does it take generally for the weed control to take effect?

– I dont have irrigation system, I have to constantly move the sprinkler to different areas of the lawn. Is it better to have a irrigation system?

I appreciate any other pointers/suggestions.

thanks,

tommy – posted 06 May 2005 15:22

Irrigation is always good to have, but if you want to continue watering by hand- consider using a portable impact head- that shoots water out at a greater distance. This will reduce the number of times you have to move the hose around. You should not have to re-seed the bermuda…..it probably needs more fertilizer. The people you hired will take care of that for you. Weed killer usually takes a week or so, but you may have a mix of weeds and weedy grasses that will require a second spray with a different chemical.

Dchall_San_Antonio – posted 13 May 2005 21:08

I agree with tommy but want to add that bermuda will get more dense if you mow it under 1 inch high. If you really want it to look nice, look into getting a reel mower. When you mow it that low it takes on a horizontal growth habit that is extremely soft to your bare feet.

It needs to be fertilized about every 2 months, so watch your service to be sure they’re planning to do that.