Bermuda Lawn Maintenance Tips
Weeds: It is recommended that a pre-emergent herbicide be applied to the entire lawn at some point during the winter, December to early Feb. Best practice is to apply a pre-emergent herbicide in early December, then again in February. The pre-emergent herbicide will absorb into the ground and help stop weeds and crabgrass from germinating.
Winter weeds like Poa annua surface in the late February to early March time frame.
These weeds can sometimes be mistaken for Bermuda grass turning green. Weed-control products like “Weed-Be-Gone” will not kill these winter weeds. A product called “Image”works best on these weeds. Because our climate in early spring is ideal for these winter weeds, Image may have to be applied twice, the second application about 3 to 6 weeks after the initial application. Best practice is to apply Image in late March by spraying the entire lawn with a hose-end sprayer product, then spot treat all existing weeds or spray again on the entire lawn 3 to 6 weeks later. Some weeds take 4 to 6 weeks to finally die, but by killing these weeds, it will ensure fewer weeds next season. The winter weeds will eventually die-out when the weather is consistently warm in late May to June, however the surviving weeds will set the foundation for more weeds next season.
Spring/Summer weeds will surface in late April to May and continue till October. One difficult to control weed in our area is spotted spurge, which has a small green leaf with a purple spot in the center. These weeds can be controlled with a product like Weed-Be-Gone. For minor weed problems, spot treatment may be enough. For larger problems, it is recommended to spray the entire lawn with a hose-end sprayer product. Spot treatment can continue every 2 weeks until the lawn is clear of weeds. It is important to note that if daily high temperatures are above 85 degrees, it is not recommended to apply weed control products. Hence, it is important to control weeds before temperatures reach that level in mid to late June. Spraying weed control when temperatures are too hot will discolor the lawn, cause yellow spots, and can be harmful to the lawn. Always try to spray in the early morning or evening hours, even if high temperatures are below 85 degrees. This is due to the fact that direct sunlight while applying the product may discolor the lawn.
Scalping: Scalping is removing all the dormant (brown) grass before the Bermuda grass emerges in the Spring. Scalping reduces thatch and allows the new Bermuda green sprouts to dominate. Scalping should only commence post the last frost of the season. Timing varies as the weather can be volatile in the early spring. Best practice is to look at the 10-day forecast towards the end of March, then scalp if weather permits, i.e. the nighttime low is above 32 degrees. Scalping to a level less than 1 inch before the first frost of the season will damage the lawn and weaken the root system. The only drawback to scalping is it allows more weeds to sprout in the early spring before the Bermudagrass takes hold. But effective weed control can alleviate this concern and enable a greener lawn.
Moss: Moss will form in partial to full shaded areas. Moss will prevent Bermuda grass from growing in the area the moss forms. Moss control products will immediately eradicate the moss. Either spread the moss control granules or spot treat by dropping granules on the moss itself. The Moss control product will not work until exposed to moisture. Applying granules on a wet lawn just after it stopped raining is ideal. Another technique is to dissolve some granules in water then spray the moss directly with a sprayer.
Fertilizer:
High Nitrogen Fertilizers are only effective when the lawn is actively growing and already green.
Using high Nitrogen fertilizer before Bermudagrass dominates the lawn will only help weeds, not the lawn. Best practice is to initially use a high Nitrogen fertilizer when the lawn is 50% green (April), then apply again in mid-June before the temperature gets too hot. Higher Phosphorus and Potassium fertilizers can be used in the fall to enrich the soil for next season. Follow the bermudagrass schedule for an idea of what ratios of fertilizer to use.
Aerating: Core Aeration is recommended in mid-to-late spring when the Bermudagrass is already dominating the lawn. Aeration will allow air to reach the root system. The soil cores disseminated on your lawn will disappear after 2 heavy rain-falls. Weeds should be already under control before Core Aeration or the action of spreading the cores will also spread weeds. It is important to aerate only after the last frost of the season, aerating allows air and moisture to directly impact the lawn’s roots.
Insecticide: Ants and Grub worms may become an issue during the season from March to
September. Grub worms eat Bermudagrass roots causing damage to your lawn. Insecticide granules are recommended to be applied quarterly or when problems are suspected. It is best to apply before a slow steady rain. Hard rains may wash away much of the product when applying granules of any kind. Products specific to the problem such as Killer ant or Grub control can be used, or general insecticide granules like Ortho Max can be applied to the entire lawn on a quarterly
schedule.
Soil Testing: It is recommended that Homeowners send a sample of their Soil every 2 or 3 years to the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office to determine what recommended nutrients must be added to the soil. Sample soil bags can be obtained at your local Pike nursery or by contacting an extension at 1-800-ASK-UGA-1 and receiving the sample bags by mail. Sample testing will cost only $6.00.
Lawn Service or do it myself: Factors such as cost and time are the focus when making this
decision. If using premium name-brand products, and comparing to a lawn service, the difference in price may be negligible. Consider that the ingredients in fertilizer (N-P-K ratio) are elements on the periodic table, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K). Hence, name brand fertilizer has the same elements as generic fertilizer, similar to the medicines Advil and Ibuprophen. One criticism of professional lawn care services is that they may have many customers and in some cases a short window to correctly perform an application. Weather permitting; they may be late or even too early with an application in the hopes of serving all their customers.
Walter Reeves is the Georgia Gardener. His website offers valuable information for lawn care, landscaping, food gardening, house plants, insects, animals, tools and chemicals. The website address is, http://www.walterreeves.com/
Winter weeds like Poa annua surface in the late February to early March time frame.
These weeds can sometimes be mistaken for Bermuda grass turning green. Weed-control products like “Weed-Be-Gone” will not kill these winter weeds. A product called “Image”works best on these weeds. Because our climate in early spring is ideal for these winter weeds, Image may have to be applied twice, the second application about 3 to 6 weeks after the initial application. Best practice is to apply Image in late March by spraying the entire lawn with a hose-end sprayer product, then spot treat all existing weeds or spray again on the entire lawn 3 to 6 weeks later. Some weeds take 4 to 6 weeks to finally die, but by killing these weeds, it will ensure fewer weeds next season. The winter weeds will eventually die-out when the weather is consistently warm in late May to June, however the surviving weeds will set the foundation for more weeds next season.
Spring/Summer weeds will surface in late April to May and continue till October. One difficult to control weed in our area is spotted spurge, which has a small green leaf with a purple spot in the center. These weeds can be controlled with a product like Weed-Be-Gone. For minor weed problems, spot treatment may be enough. For larger problems, it is recommended to spray the entire lawn with a hose-end sprayer product. Spot treatment can continue every 2 weeks until the lawn is clear of weeds. It is important to note that if daily high temperatures are above 85 degrees, it is not recommended to apply weed control products. Hence, it is important to control weeds before temperatures reach that level in mid to late June. Spraying weed control when temperatures are too hot will discolor the lawn, cause yellow spots, and can be harmful to the lawn. Always try to spray in the early morning or evening hours, even if high temperatures are below 85 degrees. This is due to the fact that direct sunlight while applying the product may discolor the lawn.
Scalping: Scalping is removing all the dormant (brown) grass before the Bermuda grass emerges in the Spring. Scalping reduces thatch and allows the new Bermuda green sprouts to dominate. Scalping should only commence post the last frost of the season. Timing varies as the weather can be volatile in the early spring. Best practice is to look at the 10-day forecast towards the end of March, then scalp if weather permits, i.e. the nighttime low is above 32 degrees. Scalping to a level less than 1 inch before the first frost of the season will damage the lawn and weaken the root system. The only drawback to scalping is it allows more weeds to sprout in the early spring before the Bermudagrass takes hold. But effective weed control can alleviate this concern and enable a greener lawn.
Moss: Moss will form in partial to full shaded areas. Moss will prevent Bermuda grass from growing in the area the moss forms. Moss control products will immediately eradicate the moss. Either spread the moss control granules or spot treat by dropping granules on the moss itself. The Moss control product will not work until exposed to moisture. Applying granules on a wet lawn just after it stopped raining is ideal. Another technique is to dissolve some granules in water then spray the moss directly with a sprayer.
Fertilizer:
High Nitrogen Fertilizers are only effective when the lawn is actively growing and already green.
Using high Nitrogen fertilizer before Bermudagrass dominates the lawn will only help weeds, not the lawn. Best practice is to initially use a high Nitrogen fertilizer when the lawn is 50% green (April), then apply again in mid-June before the temperature gets too hot. Higher Phosphorus and Potassium fertilizers can be used in the fall to enrich the soil for next season. Follow the bermudagrass schedule for an idea of what ratios of fertilizer to use.
Aerating: Core Aeration is recommended in mid-to-late spring when the Bermudagrass is already dominating the lawn. Aeration will allow air to reach the root system. The soil cores disseminated on your lawn will disappear after 2 heavy rain-falls. Weeds should be already under control before Core Aeration or the action of spreading the cores will also spread weeds. It is important to aerate only after the last frost of the season, aerating allows air and moisture to directly impact the lawn’s roots.
Insecticide: Ants and Grub worms may become an issue during the season from March to
September. Grub worms eat Bermudagrass roots causing damage to your lawn. Insecticide granules are recommended to be applied quarterly or when problems are suspected. It is best to apply before a slow steady rain. Hard rains may wash away much of the product when applying granules of any kind. Products specific to the problem such as Killer ant or Grub control can be used, or general insecticide granules like Ortho Max can be applied to the entire lawn on a quarterly
schedule.
Soil Testing: It is recommended that Homeowners send a sample of their Soil every 2 or 3 years to the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office to determine what recommended nutrients must be added to the soil. Sample soil bags can be obtained at your local Pike nursery or by contacting an extension at 1-800-ASK-UGA-1 and receiving the sample bags by mail. Sample testing will cost only $6.00.
Lawn Service or do it myself: Factors such as cost and time are the focus when making this
decision. If using premium name-brand products, and comparing to a lawn service, the difference in price may be negligible. Consider that the ingredients in fertilizer (N-P-K ratio) are elements on the periodic table, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K). Hence, name brand fertilizer has the same elements as generic fertilizer, similar to the medicines Advil and Ibuprophen. One criticism of professional lawn care services is that they may have many customers and in some cases a short window to correctly perform an application. Weather permitting; they may be late or even too early with an application in the hopes of serving all their customers.
Walter Reeves is the Georgia Gardener. His website offers valuable information for lawn care, landscaping, food gardening, house plants, insects, animals, tools and chemicals. The website address is, http://www.walterreeves.com/
