DFW area - New home, lawn is a disaster, seeking advice

13 years ago

We recently bought a home in the DFW area and I have quickly learned that what I thought was a nice bermuda lawn just hadn't bared it's fangs yet.

As soon as spring rolled around the Dallisgrass sprang into action, taking over nearly the entire area between the curb and sidewalk. I originally tried multiple treatments of Weed'B'Gon with Crabgrass killer, and after that failed and I learned that MSMA was no longer produced I turned to the atom bomb, Round Up. My original plan was to take this year to do everything I could to get the lawn on its way by fertilizing, soil amendments, and removing weeds.

After deciding it was worth killing off some of the Bermuda, I used Round Up on the Dallisgrass, spot treating so much that in one area it wiped out a good 75% of the lawn (trust me when I say that 95% of that was Dallisgrass). What I didn't do was attempt to remove the dead weeds afterward, or dethatch the areas that were inhabited by the Dallisgrass, so the area stayed dead and now the weeds are starting to come back.

Feel free to call me out on my rookie mistake, but I knew the risks and decided to do it anyway. Had I the time, I would have loved to remove the weeds manually.

This brings me to the advice part. To add to the weed issue, I also have Sycamore trees and a Live Oak that were never trimmed, resulting in extremely thin Bermuda under the canopies. I would like to level/regrade the lawn because it is uneven, but I would first and foremost like to resolve the issue with muddy runoff and thicken the Bermuda.

I'm attaching some photo albums with photos of my frankenlawn, and would appreciate any helpful feedback or guidance that may be provided. My goal this weekend is to send a soil sample off to the Agricultural Extension office so that I know about my lawn's deficiencies.

http://img39.imageshack.us/g/img1277o.jpg/

and

http://img202.imageshack.us/g/img1281k.jpg/

Again, any advice or criticism would definitely be appreciated. I would sat some point like to get the lawn to a point where I can treat it organically.

Comments (12)

john_in_sc
13 years ago
Part 1. Bermuda doesn't do well in shade... There is ONE brand new bermuda hybrid that supposedly does grow fine in shade.. but it's pretty spendy... if it's not a big area -- may be 1 or 2 pallets would do the trick.... One of the new fine bladed Zoysias may be a better choice in a shady area where you want it to look like Bermuda... If your *whole* lawn is shaded.. Consider maybe switching to a Zoysia or one of the new St. Augustine hybrids.

Part 2. For the Sunny parts of your lawn... Google up and follow the Bermuda Bible. It won't do you wrong.
rmstaley
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you for the response.

I do know that Bermuda has trouble in the shade, which is why I am working at trimming and thinning my existing trees to allow for more sunny coverage.

As far as Zoysia goes... would anyone be willing to share experiences with this grass in the DFW area? I've looked into this before but have heard conflicting stories pertaining to successes and take rates. One item always mentioned is to find a quality sod grower.

Back to the topic of Bermuda, can anyone tell me if reseeding my lawn in its current condition will help, or is it more benficial to sod it? Also, when levelling the lawn, is it better to have it lower than the sidewalk, or higher? I'm assuming higher because lower would prevent runoff, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thank you for that, the Bermuda Bible seems to be incredibly detailed, so I will get to work on that.

How do I know what type of Bermuda I have? It in all likelihood was sodded by the builder when the home was built in 1995. I'm thinking Common Bermuda, but am not entirely sure. Also, how hell do the Bermuda types mix/look?

Sorry for so many questions, but I really enjoy the yard work and am willing to put forth the effort to ensure that the yard reflects that.

My biggest problem is prioritizing which issues to attack first. Any personal opinions on this matter would also be appreciated.

Thanks again.
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john_in_sc
13 years ago
Common Bermuda is called "Wire Grass" -- It would remind you of a big nasty tangle of Hair... It has extremely long Stolons between the leaves... It also has *Very* long leaves -- 3-6" long... It's not routinely used any more except in cow pastures.

Tifway 419 is the most common Hybrid Bermuda cultivar in existence.... Chances are that is what you have got. It does throw seed heads, but they're sterile, so Sod only. Short leaves, short runners between leaves... and it looks like a Golf Course Fairway when you do your part...

TIF419 is also one of the best Hybrid bermuda grasses there is for yards -- It is a fairly old hybrid, but *Still* routinely comes out as one of the top rated Bermuda grasses of the national turfgrass testing programs.... Even against New cultivars...

The standard advise is NOT to overseed Bermuda -- You will end up mixing some different type of Bermuda into yours... and it will look funky -- different colors, different textures, different dormant behaviors, etc... Especially stay away from Common Bermuda... It does NOT make a good yard.

The 2nd part of that advise is that Bermuda spreads amazingly fast once you get it happy... especially in the HOT summertime like right now... It can literally fill in a yard that is HALF missing within a month or three...

So... To sum it up...
1. If you need something for Shade.. Look elsewhere.
2. DON'T overseed Bermuda Sod
3. DON'T overseed... ANYTHING... EVER... With Common Bermuda... Unless it's a cow pasture.
4. Follow the Bermuda Bible.
5. If your yard is totally WIPED OUT and you just gotta do something... Buy Tif 419 sod... It's CHEAP.. It grows great.

You will be AMAZED at how fast the stuff takes over after you start Bermuda Bible Culture.

Mine literally choked out and killed all the weeds and other grasses in my yard 2 months ago.... It even choked out Crabgrass... The crabgrass started growing and the Bermuda just grew right over it and choked it out.... The only place Crabgrass lives now is on the road side -- and there, it creeps straight out into the road.... not into the lawn

Thanks

John
texas_weed
13 years ago
I do know that Bermuda has trouble in the shade, which is why I am working at trimming and thinning my existing trees to allow for more sunny coverage.
Well I am a sod farmer in your area, and don't take this wrong but you have a choice to make. Either the trees or the Bermuda has to go. Take your pick.

IMHO your best option with trees is to switch to Saint Augustine grass.
firstandgoal
13 years ago
I see a slight problem with surface roots also.
{{gwi:109516}}
texas_weed
13 years ago
Back that picture out and let's see the tree(s). What I see right now is a classic example of sun deprived Bermuda. It does look like you have some erosion going on. However if the Bermuda was thick and healthy, you would not have a erosion problem.

Please don't take my comments as criticism, it is not offered that way. I am trying to get you to understand what is going on. Now what I cannot see is how large that canopy is, or other close adjacent trees.

If the tree is small (canopy), and not clustered with other trees it can be dealt with by raising the canopy height so plenty of sun gets under the tree in morning and evening, only a couple of hours around noon is shaded. But if the canopy is large or a cluster of trees, no way to get enough sunlight to grow Bermuda.
firstandgoal
13 years ago
Yes it is possible to raise the canopy, if it is not to huge, to get enough sunlight under there and get Bermuda growing. Many years ago when I first started dating my future wife, I came to her house for a visit. When I arrived, she was watering bare dirt under a fairly good sized maple tree. I asked her what she was doing, and her reply was "I've been trying to get the grass to grow under here for quite awhile, I don't know whats wrong".

I busted out laughing and said something like "Well you big dummy, Bermuda grass doesn't grow in the shade" (I was promptly sprayed with the water hose that she was holding).

I went back to my house, got a chainsaw and bow saw and went to town trimming branches to raise and open the canopy to get more sunlight under the tree. The tree looked much better, and it worked. By the end of summer, the whole area was almost covered with Bermuda.
wrager
13 years ago
"Especially stay away from Common Bermuda... It does NOT make a good yard."
This is not at all truthful. There are many improved varieties of common, or seeded Bermuda, i.e. Yukon, Sahara, Princess 77. I seeded a large area behind my 419 with Triangle. It is slightly lighter and a little more coarse, but most would never know the difference.

Shade is very bad, even the slightest. I have an area that gets good morning and evening sun, but still won't thrive. I've re-sodded it three times. 419 is only $80 a pallet here, so why not. BTW, Zoysia is roughly 2X the cost of 419.
rmstaley
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you all for the responses.

texas-weed, I have not taken any offense to your comments, and will continue to welcome any feedback. Yours is especially helpful because of your expertise with this area. Would you be able to speak to the success rate of Zoysia in this area? I've some some really deep emerald grasses in the shopping centers that look absolutely beautiful. I've been told that this is Zoysia.

All of the trees have some degree of issue with surface roots. I have three trees, however, each one is about 75 ft from the other. I'm posting a link to some other shots to give you an idea of the canopy. You can see that I have been attempting to raise the canopy and thin the tree to allow for more sun. It seems that the builder didn't put a lot of through into planning this yard, because I have giant Crape Myrtles growing right under the eaves, and a Live Oak no more than 12-14ft from my house.

I am not a fan of St. Augustine, and I would like to avoid it if at all possible. The neighbor has it, and the other half of my lawn that is divided by the cement walkway is thoroughly St. Augustine. At some point I had hoped to install a french drain for drainage and form a physical barrier to re-establish the Bermuda on that side. This feels more and more unlikely by the day.

I do have issues with erosion, and I also have trouble setting the mower low enough (though I can mow at the second to lowest setting if I'm VERY careful) because of the exposed roots. I would like to level the lawn somehow, or build it up and regrade it, but I have no idea where to even begin attempting this. I'm concerned that the lawn will be much higher than the sidewalk.

Thank you for the information about Common Bermuda, I'll check out the Tiffway 419 to see if that hybrid resembles my lawn.

You may have noticed that the grass was pretty high in my previous photos, and that is because I was working long hours. I'm currently working on cutting it back down to the second setting on my mower.

Here is a link to the gallery showing the tree:

http://img695.imageshack.us/g/img1290i.jpg/

Please disregard the butchered Crape Myrtles if they are apparent, the previous owner was very hands off with this yard and the gentleman performing the lawn services apparently subscribes to the popular belief about cutting them back in the winter.

Again, all feedback is much appreciated.
texas_weed
13 years ago
Zoysia is perfectly fine in DFW. A couple of the varieties have fair shade tolerance. But be aware there are many varieties of Zoysia out thee, and they are all more expensive compared to Bermuda. So do your homework if you decide to buy Zoysia sod. It varies from a coarse texture with light green color (Meyers aka Z-52), to very fine texture with a deep blue-green color (Emerald).

Before you try Zoysia, I suggest dealing with the shade issue first and see if that solves the Bermuda problem.
rdaystrom
13 years ago
I live reasonably close to your area and I can tell you that your yard has too much shade to consistently grow a good stand of Bermuda. You can over-seed or sod it with Bermuda and over the next few years you will lose quite a few areas to weeds because the Bermuda will thin out from lack of sunlight. A few areas will be OK. That is just typical of a Bermuda yard. Very few yards can have solid Bermuda that thrives everywhere. Even in a yard with no trees Bermuda can have serious trouble surviving on the north side of the house for a few feet out. Shrubs, trees, your neighbor's trees, your neighbor's house, or even your own house can all contribute to the demise of Bermuda in areas of your yard. Sometimes people come on here and talk about their yards being solid Bermuda from sod or even seed. They are telling the truth, but may not realize that newly sodded or seeded yards will "lose ground" after the "new" wears off and a few seasons go by. The truth is sodded yards or a seeded yard can grow well and be solid for a short time in perfect conditions in the hot part of the year when the sun is up for many hours. The problem is that as the year goes on and the sun gets lower the Bermuda in marginal sunlight areas will thin out and go away. The areas will then be prone to being taken over by Dallisgrass, Crabgrass, or other invasive weeds. In a yard like yours there are several options. St. Augustine is one option but it limits your ability to use herbicides "on down the road" when you may need to fight weeds. I have been growing Crowne Zoysia from sod in my shady areas where nothing else had been able to grow for years with pretty good success. Crowne Zoysia was developed by Texas A&M in the Dallas area.
john_in_sc
13 years ago
If I had some shady areas and *Wanted* to keep the Bermuda look...... and absolutely couldn't stand one of the new St Augustine hybrids....

Check into Frontier Turffalo's "Shadow Turf" Zoysia
It was developed at Texas A&M to withstand >80% shade....

I set out a small patch of it in my back yard up against the house this spring as an experiment... North side of the house... On the down-slope of a hill... Gets about 2-hours/day of sun.... in the hottest parts of the summer....

It is spreading, though kinda slowly... It's spreading... If you didn't know better, you would think it was Bermuda grass without any underground runners.... Looks very similar to Tif 419 color, texture, and growth habit wise.... just a little darker green...

The main down side is that it's pretty pricey... It's likely more expensive than the new Tif shade tolerant Bermuda hybrid (Not sure what the name is...)

Thanks

John

DFW area - New home, lawn is a disaster, seeking advice

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