Lawns - Bermuda
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  (January) My question is from your column I clipped last spring. You stated to use 2,4-d for spurweed in January or February. I have a liquid 2,4-d, I want to use in a pump sprayer (hand-held). What measurements do I use for Bermuda grass lawn? I should be extremely careful around my flower beds and trees, correct?

  Many of the winter annual weeds got a quick start this season, and are already up and growing. Now would be a great time to spray with 2,4-D--a broadleaf weed killer. I cannot give you amounts to use, since there are numerous formulations of 2,4-D on the market. You need to read and follow the label directions. If your product came with a separate booklet with directions, and you have misplaced it, you can go to any retailer and find your product and read the directions. Bermuda is fairly tolerant of herbicides, but flower beds and shrubs are not. Make sure you are not spraying on a windy day, and avoid getting too close to ornamentals. Since it is a pump sprayer, spot spray the areas that have problems.

  (January) Is there any reasonable time frame, after applying an early February pre-emergent application, that Bermuda seeding may have a chance of propagating? I am in Fayetteville zone.

  A pre-emergent product is supposed to give a minimum two to three months of protection from weed seed germination-and also grass seed germination. Different conditions can alter that somewhat--amount of water, temperature, etc. It also depends on the product you use. Some products recommend no seeding 4 months prior to using or six months after--which pretty much takes you out of the seeding time period for Bermuda; others recommend waiting six to twelve weeks after using (depending on the rate used)-a much more doable approach. This information should be on the label of the product you are using or considering using.

  (March) Last year, I had my yard sprigged with Bermuda, and it really took off as the summer progressed. Then man that did the work used a couple of different weed killers in my yard at various stages of the treatments. In the beginning it was round-up to kill most everything, then after a while, he used something that was either MSMA6 or MAMS6, I am not sure which. He told me that the latter was going to kill the weeds in the lawn, but would not affect the Bermuda grass. It worked very, very well and very quickly. He also told me that this particular weed killer was a "commercial" killer and you had to have a license for it. As the weather was so nice this past weekend up here in Northwest Arkansas, I began to do outdoor work. One area I want to control as soon as possible is a couple of patches of weeds in my yard. If I were to use Round-up on those weeds now, would it kill the Bermuda that is around it even though it is still brown (dormant?) Is there a residential application similar to the MSMA6 weed killer that I could use to remove these weeds?

  Yes, it is too late to use Round-up now on Bermuda grass. All lawns are beginning to green up, even if you can't tell it just yet. MSMA is a product that home gardeners can buy, but it works on summer grassy weeds, and must be in the 80's to be effective. At this point we are almost getting too late to spray herbicides without slowing down the natural green-up. The winter weeds that you see now are really kicking into high gear with the warm weather. Try to keep them mowed to prevent seed set and they should disappear as summer nears. Next year, either use a pre-emergent product in the fall, or use a 2,4-D product in January or February to kill the small winter weeds.

  (July) We just put some sod down. Should we water once a day or twice a day? Also, we put some Bermuda seed down. How long does it take the seed to turn to grass?

  Sod needs to be kept moist to encourage the root system to grow. To start with, you may want to lightly water twice a day. We need to keep the root zone moist, not saturated. After a week or two gradually taper off to once a day, but gradually increase the amount you are applying. Then, progress to every other day until you are down to once or twice a week, depending on your yard. Your goal is an inch to an inch and a half of water per week, if natural moisture does not occur. Bermuda grass seed should germinate in 7 to 12 days.

  (August) Last July we moved into our new home and in the fall we had Bermuda grass put down. This past spring the whole yard was filled with those pretty purple flowers (henbit, I believe it’s called, which we hand picked ourselves every last one). What can we do so next spring so we do not have to go through that again, it was overwhelming? Also, the little rain that we have gotten has helped our lawn but in some areas it’s very sparse and yellow. Can you tell us again what we might do to fix this? How many times a year should we fertilize and with what? Any advice you could give us would be appreciated.

  Bermuda grass responds great to fertilization. You can actually fertilize it monthly from April through September if you don’t mind mowing twice a week. Two to three applications a year should suffice for any Bermuda lawn. If you have not been fertilizing, apply one last application now. Go with a slow release high nitrogen fertilizer. This should aid in greening the lawn. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide in late October or early November. That should prevent the winter annual weeds (which henbit is one example) from germinating. If you notice any greening occurring in January, that is usually the beginning of winter annual weeds, and you can also spray with a product containing 2,4-D. They are easy to control, if you control them early enough, before they begin blooming.

  (August) We are moving into a new house and we want to plant grass seed. Could you tell me when is the best time to plant the seed and what kind of seed to plant for Fairfield Bay, AR. The grass will be in full sun.

  The best grass for this situation is Bermuda grass, however it is too late to seed for this year. There is a possibility that the seed would germinate with our warm soil, and it would look like a lawn, but it is highly improbable that it would survive the winter. A better option would be to plant ryegrass seed in mid September to give you a green temporary lawn, and seed with the common Bermuda in mid April through early June next spring.

  (August) Broad leaf grass has taken over our lawn and is getting to be more than our Bermuda grass. We have tried several things to get rid of it. What can we use to eliminate it from our lawn so our Bermuda grass can grow.

  Grassy weeds in Bermuda grass can be controlled with MSMA, commonly called crabgrass killer. It will yellow your lawn a bit after application, but it can work. It is getting a little late in the year, but one application should be ok. The problem is two-fold. Not only do you not want to injure your Bermuda late in the season, but you also have very well-established weeds, which are tougher to kill. Use a pre-emergent herbicide next February /March, and then if the broadleaf grass reappears next year, try to get a handle on it by June or early July.

  Our front yard was sodded with Bermuda grass that goes to seed at about 5 or 6 inches so the yard constantly re-seeds itself if we skip mowing it a week or two. Do you know the name of this variety? I would like to find some seed.

  Common Bermuda goes to seed readily, but as to whether you are getting any seedlings from this seed is doubtful. The seed would be shaded from the existing lawn, and there is the competition factor. Hybrid Bermuda will also set seed, as will zoysia and St. Augustine, but the seed is typically not viable, or in some cases sterile.

  I started a new Bermuda lawn about two months ago. It is now about eight to ten inches tall and I need to mow it. How tall should I mow it and how often. Now that I have a good stand, should I do any fertilization? Also, how often should I be watering?

  Allowing your new lawn to grow as tall as you have was not a good idea, but that is hindsight. There is no mower that I know of that will allow you to mow at a high enough level that you won’t remove more than one third of the leaf blade. Mowing off more than that can stress the grass. Mow it as tall as possible, wait a few days, and mow again, gradually reducing the height of the lawn to a manageable level. Be sure to either catch the excess grass clippings, or rake them up after mowing. Bermuda grass is usually mowed at a height of one to two and a half inches. Fertilize now with a high nitrogen fertilizer and be sure to water it in. Water twice a week as long as it stays as hot and dry as it has been, putting down an inch to an inch and a half of water per week.

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