Complete Water Ban! Bermuda advise needed..

16 years ago

The county I am in implemented a total water ban 3 months ago. My bermuda grass (Tif 419) is now a THE example of a stressed lawn.

I have already stopped fertilizing (was doing it once a month as RxÂd by TX Weed). Lawn has only had @ 2" of water in 3 months so it has significant amounts of brown spots (surprisingly.. other parts of the lawn are still green).. but there are a few spots that look like winter came early (totally brown).

Questions, (since I am relatively new to this) Should I raise my cutting height? (Am currently cutting at the lowest setting of my rotary mower. My lawn DID look great at this setting.) Will this permanently damage my lawn?

BTW.. $1,000 fine for breaking the water ban followed by the WSA shutting off your water for repeat violations (so breaking the ban is not an option). Thanks for your help.

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Comments (6)

lou_spicewood_tx
16 years ago
Well you are screwed. Do nothing till the watering ban is lifted (whenever it starts to rain enough).

My area (Dallas-FT worth) was dangerously close to total ban after 2 years of severe drought before rain came. Boy, rain sure came in large amount and very often... Wide spread flooding across Texas this year...

When it starts raining a lot, hit your lawn with fertilzer to speed up recovery. I feel your pain, really...
lou_spicewood_tx
16 years ago
I'd worry a LOT more about trees than grass. large mature trees are irreplaceable unlike bermuda...

If you have trees, hopefully, you can use soaker hose around dripline. Forget about grass for now. I can't imagine not having trees for shade in Texas during the hot summers for sure. I'd rather have ugly lawn with large trees than awesome lawn without large shade trees...
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Dchall_san_antonio wrote: > One more think you can do with fescue in the summer is to stop mowing for several weeks. That will really drive the bermuda crazy but the grass will use much less water when it is 9 inches long and flowing in the breeze. You know, I like having fescue and bluegrass that is tall, like the 9-plus inches you suggested above to Mirz2000. Most of my lawn is zoysia but I also keep an area devoted to fescue and bluegrass. I recall in a different, older thread you mentioned you are growing some of your grass at your new home extra super tall. Once a cool season grass reaches 9 inches and taller, though, how do you cut it with a mower without cutting into the stems? The stems grow higher as the blades also grow higher, so you won't just be cutting blade, but also stem. At least that's what I found when I allowed my fescue and Kentucky bluegrass to grow extra tall. Even on the walk-behind mower's highest wheel setting, I was cutting into the stems. Of course, the books recommend cutting fescue and bluegrass to a height of 3 to 4 inches, and not removing more than a third at a time.
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Are your thin and bare areas in shady parts of your garden? That's the only reason bermuda would be thin. Bermuda needs full sun all day. If you have a fence, building, tree, or shrub anywhere between the grass and the horizon, bermuda will suffer. Overseeding is a mistake. Your current turf is a sodded variety. You cannot buy seed for that variety. The seeded varieties have some problems with appearance. Of course you have weeds now so there is already a problem with appearance. If shade is the problem, then there is a fine bladed zoysia that looks like bermuda and grows well in the shade. It is called Shadow Turf and is available at Fanicks Nursery on Holmgren Road (off of WW White north of Rigsby). It's a little expensive, but it would work. A much less expensive idea is to put a piece of St Augustine sod in the shady areas. The problem with that is the St Aug is a very coarse bladed grass and will look weedy as it encroaches into the bermuda. In San Antonio the St Aug will take over the bermuda in full sun and shade. Bermuda grass is most dense (thick) when mowed low. If you have not already, lower your mower deck to the lowest setting and leave it there.
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texas_weed
16 years ago
Don't worry about the grass it will survive and revive with wetter weather. Can't say the same for other grass types, shrubs, or trees. What do your cool season grass neighbors lawn look like? Dead I assume.

You were spot on by quiting fertlizer apps during drought conditions when you cannot water, so just hold off for now.

A little late to raise the cutting height now, but it will not hurt one thing if you do, and will do some good if a little rain comes your way. Raising the cutting height is a good idea as hotter dryer weather approaches to conserve soil moisture. However doing so after it has dried out, well...
quirkyquercus
16 years ago
Actually you're wrong there are a lot of cool season lawns around here that look fantastic even now. I don't know what their secret is although my creeping red fescue is greener than my neighbors bermuda which is once again brown due to the drought. So what green have bermuda owners had this year?
The grass finally got going in June then july it was optimal now it is august and it is brown again. Come september it starts to slow down again. Wow, 2 months of green. How impressive. What a smart choice in lawns..
auteck
16 years ago
Quirky, that's too funny...LOL

I'm back!
auteck
16 years ago
Yes, take care of those trees and shrubs and don't worry about the grass for now. BTW, do you want to know what I did last summer to water my lawn during drought?

I let the garden hose flat on the grass without the nozzle and watered silently...

I feel your pain, 419 makes one of the nicest bermuda lawns.

Complete Water Ban! Bermuda advise needed..

Comments (6)

lou_spicewood_tx

lou_spicewood_tx

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