Bremuda Grass (Assistance Pls -- Experts Needed)

15 years ago

Hello, I am looking to plant grass in my back yard about 20,000 sq feet. Gees I am confused Yukon, La Prima, etc... I pulled out all the weeds and tilled the soil. I am in the process of installing sprinklers - any suggestions on brands Toro - I like the multistream, rainbird? Looking to plant seed to save some $$$. Where to purchase the sprinklers and grass seed. Home Depot? Seedland.com?

Situation & Needs

Pet - Small dog Cocker Spaniel male (I have heard some grass is not pet friendly)

Los Angeles Water - Drought Situation

Live in Zone - 10 (Los Angeles, CA)

Yard - Have mature fruit trees that may cast shadows, but good sun otherwise

Maintenance - would like to take it easy and what the grass grow... Mowing once a week but pls no more. Can fertilized but donÂt want to spend a ton of $$$.

Any assistance and suggestions Bermuda or otherwise appreciated.

Thanks in Advance!

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Comments (8)

neilaz
15 years ago
I think that Yukon and La Prima would not be a good choice for your once a week mowing idea. You will need to stay with Blackjack, sahara or common. These will do better on a once a week mowing.
texas_weed
15 years ago
Yard - Have mature fruit trees that may cast shadows, but good sun otherwise

Maintenance - would like to take it easy and what the grass grow... Mowing once a week but pls no more. Can fertilized but donÂt want to spend a ton of $$$.

Hum I don't know what to say other than consider option B, a different grass variety. Bermuda, at least any worth having in a yard really requires twice a week mowing and monthly fertilizer applications during the growing season. In LA I suspect that is 10 to 12 months per year and with 20,000/ft2 is quite a bit of money.

I mean you can get away with once a week mowing and 3 or 4 fertilizer applications, but the results IMO are less than satisfactory.

Two other problems you face is location is pollution and the shade trees. Bermuda likes neither of them

However I have one idea that will take care of most of your issues except the shade issue. There is a common Bermuda grass called Santa Ana. It has high pollution and salinity resistance. It is a low input type which means it does not need to be kept real short and a lot of fertilizer. You can mow it at 3 inches down to 2 inches and should only need 3 or 4 fertilizer application per year to keep it green and lush. Santa Ana is not the finest texture or darkest green, but none of the common types are. Santa Ana is a good choice for you with the severe limitations you are putting on yourself. But warning if the shade trees cast large and deep shade, no Bermuda grass will grow there. Bermuda needs at least 6 hours of direct sun light.
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You need to understand that NC is NOT Texas, and what grows in Texas does NOT translate it will grow in NC. Get that through your head if you can... "Sod farms don't do Yukon, it is a common variety from seed developed in Northwest Oklahoma for colder climates, where they measure snow in feet, not inches. Last time I was in Raleigh when it snowed 1/2 inch the whole city closed down and went into massive panic. So don't go blowing smoke how cold it gets there, I am not buying it." You're wrong here again. Sod farmers are going to grow what customers want (demand) wether seed or hybrid, IF is stays green for 11 months in Raleigh, sod farmers will grow bermuda from seed. Homeowners can care less if is seeded or hybrid, they want green, golf courses want green, so no, I'm not buying your hybrid story - maybe you can sell it in Texas, not here in NC. 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whittiergrower
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the valuable info!!!

How does Bermuda do with pets Â dog urine Â does it turn brown?

Pollution interesting did not consider that as a problem.
I believe I can get 6 hours of sun in most spots.

Would like tips in seeding Bermuda:
I tilled the soil
Will use seeder to over seed about 2-3 lbs per 1000sq feet
Will put seed starter Â a thin layer on top of the seeds
Will water like crazy
TIPS?

Thanks for all you assistance.
tak2w
15 years ago
Dog urine....well, it depends on the size of the dog. I have large dogs and it definitely turns it yellow, and most times kills that spot. During the growing season, it will fill in quickly because of how fast bermuda spreads.

Seeding tips....well many people here will tell you not to till, but it's too late for that. Your soil will settle unevenly, causing an uneven lawn that is hard to mow without scalping spots. BEFORE you seed, water your soil well and then roll it with a water filled roller. Repeat this process several times...water, roll, water roll...over several days to get it as level as you can. The broadcast your seeds and some starter fertilizer and the roll them in with the roller 1/2 filled with water. Then water about 3 times a day...enough to keep the seeds moist at all times until they germinate, then you can slowly start backing off on the watering.
whittiergrower
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for that very useful information.

Roller question - I have been told that if you roller after the seed / starter is put down the roller will pick up the seed (seeds will stick to the roller) and move them around giving an uneven spread? Correct? InCorrect?

Any suggestions on sprinklers for Bermuda Grass. Type, brand where to purchase?

Thanks a million
tak2w
15 years ago
I did not have a problem with the roller picking up the seed or fertilizer, and most others recommend the roller as well, so I don't think it is a problem.

As far as irrigation system is concerned, are you doing it yourself or having a contractor install it? There is a lot to consider in the design of a system other than the brand of the heads. There is a good irrigation tutorial at the site in the link below. He has a lot of design information as well as equipment reviews. Also, there is a irrigation forum here on Garden Web that is pretty good, although not as active as the lawn care forum. I have Hunter heads, and most of the ones in my neighborhood are Hunter or Rainbird. I have heard mixed things about Toro, mostly to avoid them.

Here the link (for some reason it wouldn't let me put it as an actual link):

http://www.irrigationtutorials.com
whittiergrower
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the information.

Texas_Weed recommended Santa Ana Bermuda seed. Would you recommend the same?

I will be doing the sprinklers myself. I got a sprinkler tutorial (booklet) from Home Depot. It was put together by Toro since Home Depot sells them. Drew out my yard and planed my sprinklers. I selected Toro multistream sprinklers since I have fruit trees figured a single stream impact sprinkler would not perform as well. Per their specifications these sprinklers provide a 30 foot radius. I do have all the sprinklers overlapping.

Also looking to invest in a sit down mower. Should I spend a little extra and get a tractor mower that can accommodate additional attachments (does such a thing exist)? Recommendations?

Any additional information would help.
tak2w
15 years ago
I am not an expert by any means, just going by my limited experience.....so, I can't comment on the Santa Anna other than to say I would put a lot of weight behind what TW recommends. I have learned a lot from him on this forum and he really knows his stuff.

The main thing I have learned about designing a sprinkler system is to make sure you have head-to-head coverage. The water from one head should spray all the way to the other head, not just overlap a little bit.

For your size yard a regular lawn tractor would be a good idea. My lawn is about 23K sq' and I have a John Deere 345 with a 54" deck, which is probably overkill, but my father-in-law gave it to me when he got his new tractor. I have a pull-behind plug areator, dethatcher, roller, and dump trailer. I also borrow my neighbor's pull-behind spreader. A lawn tractor gives you the flexibility of doing lots of different things with it, vs. a zero-turn mower, which is great for cutting grass, but doesn't do so well with attachments. Also, with a tractor, you won't mind mowing more than once a week. I mow every 3-4 days. Try going over to the tractor forum on this site....the folks over there have been very helpful to me at times.

Bremuda Grass (Assistance Pls -- Experts Needed)

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