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It is important to know how to plant Bermuda Grass in Texas. Because Bermuda Grass perennates poorly via seed, even under ideal conditions, it must be planted from sprigs or stolons rather than seeds. Although vegetative planting material (sprigs) can be purchased, it is often manufactured by sod production companies or sod farms.
Sod producers sow a thick Bermuda Grass lawn, which they harvest as big rolls of sod 12 weeks after seeding. When purchasing Bermuda Grass for planting, choose the thickest, greenest lawn available. Bermuda grass will be 2-3 months old and should be a height of 4′′-6′′ when you receive it.
Whenever possible, buy Bermuda Grass in one-foot square sections (known as sprigs) rather than large rolls. This will simplify manual planting and save you money. Planting by sod is more expensive but allows the homeowner to quickly create their Bermuda grass lawn; nevertheless, there are advantages to doing it yourself.
The area should be weed-free. If necessary, apply a flame weeder or a non-selective herbicide such as glyphosate. Remove any grassy weeds and other perennial vegetation with a rotary mower. You can also apply a Natural Weed Control to kill the current plants, but this isn’t necessary as you’ll be growing new Bermuda Grass sprigs regardless.
To ensure proper drainage and pH, test the soil in your yard along a sidewalk or driveway at 1 inch depth. Bermuda Grass loves clay soils, but it may also grow in sandy soils. It does not, however, grow well in acidic or alkaline environments. Soil pH should ideally be between 6.5 and 7.0 for best results, therefore test your soil’s pH level before planting Bermuda grass sprigs to ensure it falls within the right range.
Planting bermuda grass in Texas has various advantages. These are some examples:
There are several drawbacks to Bermuda grass that should be addressed. These are some examples:
When the soil temperature is regularly warmer, Bermuda plant. In Texas, the optimal time to plant Bermuda seed is late spring and early summer, when the soil has warmed and the risk of spring frost has passed.
Bermuda seeds sprout best in soil temperatures ranging from 65°F to 70°F.
Bermuda grass should be planted at least 90 days before the first frost. This works well for overseeding, especially in Texas where temperatures remain high far into the fall season.
There are various types of Bermuda grass, but two are usually seen on Texas lawns.
This is one of the hardest hybrid grasses, with a deep root system and a great recuperative capacity.
It is also resistant, since it will only become dormant after repeated winter frosts and will turn green as soon as the temperature reaches 45 degrees. It establishes roots quickly, grows quickly, and spreads quickly.
This Bermuda grass kind can be sown and is substantially coarser. It features bigger leaves and a longer stalk between the blades (internode length).
TifTuf is a softer and brighter green variant. People frequently comment that it is the most attractive of the Bermuda’s.
Also, it retains its color longer in the fall and recovers faster in the spring than other grass types. Finally, this Bermuda recovers well from drought and has a high tolerance for shadow.
When you begin planting Bermuda grass, arrange the sprinkler system in your yard; each sprinkler should cover about 10 square feet of lawn space. Before you begin, draw out each irrigation zone on paper, making sure there is enough space between each zone for the mowing deck of your lawn tractor.
Secondly, planting your Bermuda Grass via stolons (sprigs) allows you to select parts of high-quality turf that will contribute to the production of a good Bermuda lawn. There is no guarantee that all sprigs from a roll or bale will look the same. You can select the most visually appealing, green plant material from a sod producer and clip out the brown or yellow parts to utilize as fillers in low places.
Second, if you plant by stolons while your grass is first established, you may easily add more berms later in the summer when an area begins to thin down.
Eventually, creating a thick Bermuda lawn by planting sprigs/ stolons takes time, which is a good thing if you’ve ever had Bermuda grass take over your flower beds or yard!
For planting Bermuda Grass, use a utility knife or saw to cut the sod into two-foot square portions (a standard shovel blade width). This allows you to make straight cuts while damaging fewer grass blades during installation.
While planting Bermuda Grass in Texas soil, keep in mind that tiny Bermuda plants are fragile until their roots penetrate deep into the earth. Take your time when planting an area with sprigs or grass clippings because they are large enough to establish themselves with less maintenance than very little seed fragments.
If you plant by sprigs, make careful to keep the soil moist as they grow. Bermuda Grass can survive on rain alone, but if there is no rain for a week or so after planting, it is critical to water weekly until new roots are established deep into the soil. Pre-irrigate for at least half an hour before backfilling sod rolls or Bermuda Grass clippings.
This decreases standing water around newly planted Bermuda grass and discourages weed germination, saving you time later in the summer when weeds grow quickly!
We recommend using a fertilizer with a 1-1-1 or 2-1-2 ratio (Nitrogen:Phosphorous: Potassium). Nitrogen fertilizers encourage healthy top growth and fill in thin spots in your grass. Phosphorus increases root development and disease resistance while potassium improves root development and drought resilience.
Bermuda Grass can be mowed at any time, however we recommend cutting off only 1/3 to 1/2 of the leaf blade at a time. This will cause less stress on the grass than cutting it back to the soil surface every week and will allow new leaves to sprout for thicker lawn covering.
If you need quick turf cover to protect exposed soil from erosion, cut Bermuda grass a little higher than usual. By removing half of the leaf blade, you can reduce water loss by shading the soil and weed seed development on your new grass. Mowed Bermuda Grass generates many times the amount of seeds that unmowed sod does. Furthermore, once established, keep your lawn as short as possible to reduce future mowing work!
During dry seasons, warm-season grasses such as Bermuda grass, often known as a “C” type grass, should receive 1-2 irrigations per week from April to June. In July and August, water less regularly yet more frequently to keep the soil surface moist. Depending on how quickly your soil dries, apply 1/2 inch of water once or twice a week. You can use a moisture meter to test your soil until it reaches an optimum moisture level of 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 pounds of accessible moisture per foot of depth to determine when and how much to irrigate the warm season grasses (use a 10-foot long probe).
Bermuda grass is a popular blend in Texas because to its low water requirements and ability to withstand a lot of sun and traffic.
Finally, one of the best turfgrasses for a lovely lawn is Bermuda grass. It will not wilt in the hot sun or perish when pests arrive and pose a problem.
