Questions- Hybrid Bermuda

DaveM – posted 12 July 2006 19:56

I have an 1/2 acre lot that was originally planted with a fescue. Last year I decided to switch over to a hybrid bermuda. On one half of my yard I have bermuda on one side and fescue on the other. For the rest of the yard I have the bermuda, Savannah variety.

My questions are:1. What do I need to do to get the bermuda to take over the areas where the fescue is? The fescue is a lot higher than the bermuda and it makes it difficult to mow the bermuda at a low height. I am using a Toro mower and the fescue clumps up on me when I try to mow at a low setting, like 1.75″.

2. What is needed to get the bermuda to thicken up? I have a contract with Chemlawn and they are applying a fertilizer. Should I get a soil test done?

3. I don’t want to have to cut the yard every other day so what height should I be mowing it.

Oh yea, I live in Southeast Virginia.

Thanks

bermudakid – posted 12 July 2006 22:49

You have to mow it low, 1″ or lower for the rest of the season. Also, if you do not bag the clippings for the a few mowings you might spread the bermuda to other parts of the lawn. Now the low mowing will thicken up the bermuda because the fescue will not be shading out the bermuda. good luck

bermudakid – posted 12 July 2006 22:54

Oh ya, if you just go ahead and scalp the lawn and deal with the bad looking lawn for a while the bermuda will creep into the scalped fescue and always mow it low so the the fescue does not have a chance to get healthy blades to capture sunlight. Also, if you have the time to mow, then you have the time to walk the lawn with a rolling broadcast spreader instead of wasting money on chem lawn.

SuperTurF – posted 13 July 2006 15:16

There are chemicals now that you can spray on cool season grasses (such as your fescue) to elimnate out of your bermuda lawn. The chemicals are called sulferons.

DaveM – posted 13 July 2006 20:33

Thank you for the input and suggestions. I have known for awhile that I wasn’t mowing the bermuda low enough but I didn’t realize the importance of cutting it so low. The lowest I can go with my existing mower is 1.250″