Why Bermuda Grass?
Bermuda grass is a warm season type grass with really high drought resistance. Loves a full sun exposure and doesn’t do well in shaded areas.
It can sustain fine to medium level of traffic and it fills in quickly.
There are 3 types of Bermuda seeds available. Hulled, un-hulled and coated seeds. Hulled seeds have their other coat removed so they will germinate easier. Most of the time, both hulled and un-hulled seeds will be sown together for a better coverage. The coated seeds have a clay based coat composed from fungicide and dye applied to them.
The un-hulled and coated seeds will germinate in 7 to 14 days while hulled seeds will germinate faster 5-10 days because they have their outer skin removed. Germination time depends on the soil temperature, moister, seedbed and soil type. Bermuda grass requires a temperature of the soil over 65 degrees to germinate and enough moister. When the outside temperature reaches 75-90 degrees you can start planting the Bermuda seeds.
It’s important to rake the area before you sow the seeds to give the seed the chance to fall in the valley left by the rake and become covered with soil over time because Bermuda seeds need to be covered by soil to be able to germinate.
Keep also in mind that freshly seeded lawns require more frequent watering than the usual lawn care but you still need to follow the fertilizing and mowing practice for the area you planted the new seeds.
The seeding rate for existing Bermuda lawns is 1-2 lbs /1000sq ft. For new Bermuda Lawns the seeding rate is 2-3 lbs/1000sq ft
It can sustain fine to medium level of traffic and it fills in quickly.
There are 3 types of Bermuda seeds available. Hulled, un-hulled and coated seeds. Hulled seeds have their other coat removed so they will germinate easier. Most of the time, both hulled and un-hulled seeds will be sown together for a better coverage. The coated seeds have a clay based coat composed from fungicide and dye applied to them.
The un-hulled and coated seeds will germinate in 7 to 14 days while hulled seeds will germinate faster 5-10 days because they have their outer skin removed. Germination time depends on the soil temperature, moister, seedbed and soil type. Bermuda grass requires a temperature of the soil over 65 degrees to germinate and enough moister. When the outside temperature reaches 75-90 degrees you can start planting the Bermuda seeds.
It’s important to rake the area before you sow the seeds to give the seed the chance to fall in the valley left by the rake and become covered with soil over time because Bermuda seeds need to be covered by soil to be able to germinate.
Keep also in mind that freshly seeded lawns require more frequent watering than the usual lawn care but you still need to follow the fertilizing and mowing practice for the area you planted the new seeds.
The seeding rate for existing Bermuda lawns is 1-2 lbs /1000sq ft. For new Bermuda Lawns the seeding rate is 2-3 lbs/1000sq ft
When to plant your Bermuda seeds?
Best time to plant your Bermuda seeds is in late spring/ early summer when temperatures are above 65 degrees. If soil temperatures are not warm enough the germination time will increase. Seeds planted too late in the fall though will risk not to be able to survive the winter. The plant will not get enough food and will die over the winter. The plant still need food and water to survive over the winter. If you do decide to plant your Bermuda seeds in fall, you should use un-hulled seeds.
It is not an uncommon practice to overseed the Bermuda grass with ryegrass for fall and winter as the ryegrass will stay green. Doing this is a risk for the newly planted Bermuda seed to not survive the competition with the established ryegrass in the spring. Most experts do not recommend doing this because Bermuda seeds needs time to establish and mature before overseeding with a ryegrass.
If you plant your Bermuda seed in the spring over an existing ryegrass lawn it is best to kill off the ryegrass prior planting. This will determine the success of your Bermuda lawn due to toxins released by the ryegrass plants. This process is usually done between April and May. Bermuda seeds should be planted at the end of May and beginning of June.
Most of the times the Bermuda lawn is ready for the first mow after 3 weeks or when most of the grass filled in. Keep in mind the rule of 1/3 of the leaf blade to avoid scalping. More every 3-7 days as frequent mowing will reduce the brown look of the grass.
It is not an uncommon practice to overseed the Bermuda grass with ryegrass for fall and winter as the ryegrass will stay green. Doing this is a risk for the newly planted Bermuda seed to not survive the competition with the established ryegrass in the spring. Most experts do not recommend doing this because Bermuda seeds needs time to establish and mature before overseeding with a ryegrass.
If you plant your Bermuda seed in the spring over an existing ryegrass lawn it is best to kill off the ryegrass prior planting. This will determine the success of your Bermuda lawn due to toxins released by the ryegrass plants. This process is usually done between April and May. Bermuda seeds should be planted at the end of May and beginning of June.
Most of the times the Bermuda lawn is ready for the first mow after 3 weeks or when most of the grass filled in. Keep in mind the rule of 1/3 of the leaf blade to avoid scalping. More every 3-7 days as frequent mowing will reduce the brown look of the grass.
