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Lawns Intro
Bermuda
Zoysia
Fescue
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Tifway 419 Bermuda
Installed by Artistic Landscapes and Fertilized with
13-13-13 Fertilizer
Bermuda
is the most common front yard grass of homes in the
$100,000+ price range. This is because it is the cheapest
sod available and it can be sodded year round. Bermuda is a
warm season grass. It is green during the summer and buff
brown in winter. It grows best in full sun and tends to thin
out in partial shade. If the grass becomes thin under a
maturing shade tree or other shady area, consider covering
the area with mulch rather than trying to get Bermuda to
grow where it will not prosper. Bermuda spreads rapidly by
both above-and-below ground runners. This can make it
difficult to keep it from spreading into your plant beds.
Bermuda is best laid as sod and not seeded. Seeded Bermuda
sends up multitudes of seed heads quickly after mowing, and
is inferior to sodded Bermuda. We do not recommend seeding
Bermuda.
VARIETIES OF BERMUDA
Tifway (419)
– Tifway
is the original standard in the market. Has excellent weed
and disease resistance. Tifway has a dark green color. Used
for home lawns, fairways, tees, and athletic fields.
Tifsport
– A new and improved Bermuda grass with superior cold
hardiness with a slightly finer leaf texture than Tifway.
TifSport provides a high-density grass that can be mowed as
low as ½ inch or 1-1/4 inches high. Tifsport has excellent
recovery from traffic with a higher tensile strength.
TifSport has also shown a mole cricket non-preference in
side-by-side comparisons to Tifway.
Patriot
– New
Bermuda grass variety from the Agricultural Experiment
Station, Oklahoma State University. Patriot is a high
quality turf with texture similar to Tifway (419), good
density and dark green color. Tested and found to be very
cold tolerant with superior recovery from traffic. Patriot
is a superior selection for athletic fields as well as
residential and commercial applications.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
SIMPLE STEPS TO MAXIMIZE THE BEAUTY OF YOUR LAWN
Fertilize your lawn three times per year, per the schedule
shown below. Water every other day in hot weather unless
it's raining. Mow twice weekly, making sure your lawn mower
blade is sharp. From mid May through June, you can core
aerate and top dress your lawn to level the yard and improve
soil conditions. Apply pre-emergent weed killers in the fall
and early spring. Allowing your grass to grow very tall
before cutting is very damaging. Frequent mowing is
important for good lawn maintenance.
WATERING
Atlanta's typical red clay soil is highly compacted and does
not absorb water well. Clay particles are super fine, and
therefore compact tightly with little air space. Unless
your soil is amended with sand and organic matter, water
does not penetrate well. Water thoroughly, but not too the
point of significant runoff. Don't waste water. In 90
degree plus heat, we recommend watering every other day.
Sunny days increases water evaporation, thus increasing the
need for water, while cloudy days require less irrigation.
If the grass is allowed to turn grayish, or plants are
wilting, it is a definite sign you have waited too long to
water. Water in the early morning when it is less windy and
the bright sun will not burn or evaporate water quickly. Do
not water in the evening or late at night, as the increased
wetness on plant and turf foliage can cause fungus. Follow
local watering ordinances.
MOWING AND THATCHING
During the growing season, mow at least weekly. During peak
growing conditions (late May through early July), mow twice
weekly. Make sure your lawn mower blade is sharp! The
mowing height should be at 3/4" to 1" for a high quality
lawn. In a perfect world, the grass should be mowed
frequently enough so that you never cut more than 1/2" in
any one cutting. Frequent cutting is the key secret to a
beautiful Bermuda lawn. Letting the grass grow tall and
then cutting it way back is the worst thing that you can do
to a Bermuda lawn.
Thatch accumulation can be reduced by scalping the lawn in
late spring as the Bermuda grass begins to turn green.
After the lawn is scalped (using a bagger is helpful), rake
up the the thatch.
As fall approaches, it is a good idea to raise the height of
your mower. The higher grass in the winter will help reduce
winter annual weeds and provide insulation against deep
freezes.
FERTILIZATION
Fertilize Bermuda after it has turned 50% green in the
spring. Don't be tempted to fertilize any earlier, for a
late freeze could wipe out the tender "forced" sprouts.
Fertilization should be with a complete fertilizer such as
13-13-13 on the approximate dates below. Water the grass
thoroughly after fertilization and daily for at least one
week thereafter if local water restrictions permit.
Bermuda Fertilization Schedule
·
April 20
·
June 1
·
August 15
** Keep in mind that sloped areas may lose their fertilizer
in heavy rains and may need more frequent fertilization.
TOPDRESSING
Most homebuilders sod the front yard with Bermuda. Often,
the job is less than perfect. Lumps, bumps, and dips can be
easily leveled with a process known as topdressing.
Topdressing can also be used to aid in the decomposition of
thatch and to reduce surface compaction. Topdressing
involves spreading a thin layer of topsoil or river sand on
the soil surface. The best topdressing material is topsoil
mixed with sand. Topdressing rates may range from 1/2 to 2
cubic yards of material per 1,000 square feet. This
produces a layer from 1/8 to 5/8 inch thick. Topdressing is
best done on Bermuda lawns in mid May and June.
Core-aerating before topdressing is also a good practice. It
is important that distinct soil layers are not formed. The
top dressed material is usually worked into the turf by
raking. Liming and Fertilization after core-aeration, but
prior to topdressing, stimulates rapid turf grass recovery
and promotes a healthy, vigorous turf. Topdressing applied
thicker than 5/8" can kill the grass underneath.
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Before
Topdressing
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| After Topdressing |
WEED CONTROL
The appearance of your lawn depends greatly upon the
practice of preventing or controlling weeds. The good lawn
management practices discussed above, proper fertilization,
mowing and watering, will produce a healthy dense turf which
is difficult for weeds to invade. May and June are the
prime growing months for Bermuda. The focus during these
months should be turf development, specifically
fertilization and
watering as discussed above. Weed killer should be
avoided during these months.
Pre-emergent weed killers should be applied in February and
late October. Weed killers may be applied from July through
September. During the winter when Bermuda is brown, winter
weeds are quite obvious. Based on actual experience, if you
spray them with RoundupTM
the Bermuda grass will also be killed. A pre-emergent
treatment in late fall is the best defense against winter
annuals. Winter weeds are easily pulled by hand.
Lawns Intro
Bermuda
Zoysia
Fescue
Back to Landscape 101 |
