Photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks at Flickr.com.
Bermudagrass is a very popular warm season turf grass in tropical and subtropical climates. It establishes quickly, spreads rapidly by stolons and rhizomes, and tolerates traffic and drought. Bermudagrass takes mowing as close as one inch. It produces a thick, dark green lawn with very few seed heads.
Bermuda Grass Varieties
Of the numerous hybrids and cultivars available, some are well suited to lawns while others perform better on athletic fields or golf courses. It’s important to choose a variety that thrives in the specific climate and situation.
- Celebration is a hybrid that tolerates high traffic extremely well, and appears to be more tolerant of shade than other bermudagrass varieties.
- Southern Star is relatively tolerant of shade, dollar spot disease, and mites.
- Yukon is a dense, dark green, drought-tolerant cultivar.
Growing Conditions for Bermudagrass
While bermudagrass is tolerant of various soil types, it does best in well-drained soils with a pH between 6 and 7. Full sun is required for optimum growth. In temperatures below 55 degrees F bermudagrass may go dormant.
When actively growing bermudagrass needs one-to-two inches of water per week, moistening the soil to six inches deep with each watering.
Mowing Bermuda Grass
Bermudagrass tolerates very close mowing as long as no more than one-third of the leaf blade is removed with each mowing. A reel mower is the best choice for maintaining the grass at one inch or lower. Rotary mowers work well for heights above one inch. The frequency of mowing depends on the variety, environmental conditions, and use.
Want to learn more about bermudagrass?
From Hawaii to Missouri to Florida, bermudagrass is a popular warm-season turf grass. Find out more at the cooperative extension websites listed below, or click here to find the extension office nearest you, where you learn about growing bermudagrass in your area of the country.
Bermuda grass
PDF on Bermuda grass
Bermuda grass for Florida Lawns
Great post. As we are planning to lay our new turf in our backyard, our turf supplier recommends Sapphire Buffalo grass for our yard which is best to grow in both shade and sunlight with less maintenance, I prefer Sapphire Buffalo turf. Here I got ideas of Bermuda turf to use for the various purpose and soil types. Thanks for Sharing.