That is one of the benefits I have discovered of having a variety of common (seeded) bermuda vs. a hybrid (sod) variety. I live in a neighborhood of hybrid bermuda yards, but I have a common variety...actually a blend w/ mostly Mohawk Bermuda. My yard stays greener longer and greens up quicker than the hybrid yards around me. Last year I had green grass into December. I think it also depends on how well you fertilize it. I put down a pound of N all thru the growing season, but most of my neighbors may fertilize once or not at all.

Those that complain about short growing season are correct as well. There are many places (N. GA, where QQ lives for one) where the growing season is not as long and bermuda may be dormant for 5-6 months. There are other climates (FL, S. CA, etc.) where it may not go dormant at all, or for just a very short time.

I don't want to start another debate on whether or not people should grow this invasive weed. Personally, I have had Fescue lawns all my life, and this will be only my 3rd season with Bermuda. I prefer having green year-round, but in this climate, I would not be able to keep fescue alive without killing my water bill and planting lots more trees for shade. In my full sun lot in this climate, I think bermuda is a pretty good choice, but it is not for everyone everywhere. And, I do actually enjoy taking a break from mowing during the dormant season....

I noticed that with my hybrid bermuda, I actually got an extra month of color versus common. It was fully green by early april and maintained good color until early November

Well, hope not to make anyone mad here, as I am just the messenger presenting facts based on data. Cold weather performance is kind of a funny thing with respect to Bermuda grass as there are 3 measures Spring Green Up, Frost Tolerance, and Winter Kill. Results get mixed up a little but a few varieties certainly come to the top, and some are clearly poor performers.

For Spring Green Up the best rated from #1 down is
OKC 70-18
Midlawn
Riviera
Premier
Yukon
Tifway-I aka 419

At the bottom are from the bottom up are:
Princess-77
Mohawk
B-14
Arizona Common
Sahara

Under Frost Tolerance the best performers from the top down are:
Tifsport
Tifway-1 aka 419
Ashmore
OKC 70-18
Midlawn

At the bottom are from the bottom up are:
Sun Devil-II
Sun Bird
Sahara
Mowhawk
Princess-77

Under Winter Kill the top down performers are:
Ashmore
OKC 70-18
Patriot
Midlawn
Riviera
Tifsport
Tifway-I aka 419

At the bottom are from the bottom up are:
Sahara
Arizona Common
Mohawk
Princess-77
B14

So based on the data it is pretty easy to see which are very good cold weather performers and ones to avoid by seeing which ones pop up the most

So IMHO the champ is OKC 70-18 followed by Midlawn, Riviera, Tiway-I and Tifsport.
The ones to avoid and sorry but the worst performers are Princess, Sahara, Arizona Common, and Mohawk.

I'm not sure why you posted the list above and then apologized for potentially making someone mad. Hmm. What's the point? Am I supposed to read your list and then go out and rip up my grass because you found some that out perform it? I was saying that in the absence of massive amounts of spring weeds that I believe Bermuda in general can perform better than it is given credit for. My yard went dormant in late November and is greening up in mid March. Not bad in my opinion for a grass that gets beat to death all the time. Your assessment that the Princess-77 and Sahara varieties of Bermuda are poor performers and should be avoided is nonsense and inaccurate. There are many beautiful yards made up of these easily affordable and easily accessed varieties.

rdaystorm, what the heck are you talking about? The point was some common varieties are not good choices depending on where you live like the transition zones, where Bermuda growing seasons are short. In that case choosing Sahara or Princess would be poor choices, over something like Yukon or Midlawn.

For example say you lived in Wichita KS wanting to grow Bermuda. Choosing Princess or Sahara would be foolish. Both would likely die in the winter, and green up very late and go dormant very early in the season if it survived.

Since you are zone 8, you can choose whatever you want, you don't have winter.

OK, I understand. I think we mis-understood each other. No big deal. Thanks for your answer.

No problem, and you are welcome. I should have been more specific, my bad.

I'm getting ready to hydromulch my new yard, and was curious what the thoughts are on Saraha vs. Common in my area (Zone 8, Austin TX). I've gotten mixed results when talking to the various landscapers in the area. Any thoughts here?

Thanks...

Texas-Native, I would like to help you out here but your question does not make a lot of sense because Sahara is a Common type of Bermuda grass. The term COMMON Bermuda just means the seed is fertile and there are dozens if not hundreds of common Bermuda varieties.

Now with that said sinse you are in Austin, there is no problem with you growing Sahara, it just may be the last to green up in the spring and the first to go dormant in the fall compared to a lot of other varieties. Winter kill is not much of an issue for you.

texas-weed, I disagree with the dormancy date and green-up dates you say about Sahara. The whole point of my original post was to emphasize the late dormancy and early green-up of Sahara I experienced. Your list states otherwise but my real world experience shows otherwise. Another fact to consider is the easy availability of Sahara versus others. Sahara can be purchased at Wal-Mart on Sunday morning or Wednesday at 10pm to make my point. It's also available at Lowe's and other places as well. That's important to me. With dormancy starting in late November and green-up starting in mid March I can't complain and I'm in the northeast Texas area. I had a green 3 acre yard last year during the substantial drought we had and I fertilized it twice. When most of my neighbors had a brown yard in August mine was still beautiful green and I don't have a sprinkler system.

Reading the various posts as it/they relate to Bermuda, I'm preparing to seed a newly cleared area of 8000 sq ft. It is at this point bare dirt, with a small degree of sand mixed clay soil. It receives a good 6 - 8 hours of southern exposure(sun) each day. My lowest winter temp has been + 20 degrees. I've considered KBG, Fescue, Zoysia, and because of favorable experience with "common" bermuda years ago in another location, I am again looking at Bermuda for this new location. I want something able to withstand periods of drought, dense/prolific enough to fend off weeds, and able to keep closely cropped. When it comes to watering, I have a high sodium water content and I'm thinking Bermuda might be more apt to handle that better than most grasses. So...with all that said, I'm close to ordering a seeded Bermuda consisting of: La Paloma & SR9554. It's marketed as "LaPrima". It's touted as meeting the requirements/conditions I have and is said to deal very well with cold winter temps. Anybody have any experience with this blend? Any other comments?

Bermuda grass is the most salt tolerant of all the grasses.

texas-weed -

I don't claim to be grass expert, I was just asking a question based on feedback that I've received from various landscapers in my area. Some are telling me to go with Common, and some are telling me to go with Sahara. If they are one in the same, then blah...

What language do I need to communicate with these folks? Is there a certain "blend" I need to be asking for?

Thanks...

Sahara is a common Bermuda type.

Yes - you said that already. Thanks...

I don't think you are understanding what TW is saying....let me try....

"Common" bermuda is usually referring to Arizona Common Bermuda. Sahara is one of the may "improved" common varieties, such as Mohawk, Yukon, Riviera, Princess 77, etc. These improved varities should have better quality than just plain old "common" Bermuda. I don't know if Sahara is the best choice for you, but in general, I would go with one of the improved varieties if sod is not an option.

I am about to plant 5 acres of Sahara bermuda. I have had it disked up. Next I will remove rocks. Then roll pack the property, broadcast seed, then roll again. This property is next to a golf course and houses and in central Texas we have clay soil. Property was full of Johnson grass and weeds, but that has been disced under.. last but not least lightly water and pray for rain. Any suggestions?

I am about to plant 5 acres of Sahara bermuda. I have had it disked up. Next I will remove rocks. Then roll pack the property, broadcast seed, then roll again. This property is next to a golf course and houses and in central Texas we have clay soil. Property was full of Johnson grass and weeds, but that has been disced under.. last but not least lightly water and pray for rain. Any suggestions?