Where are you located and how long is the bermuda going to stay green there?

The reason I ask is that it is rough to shorten bermuda slowly. Once it gets tall, it forms brown, woody stalks on the lower portions. As you try to slowly cut is shorter, you get just cut down to that level and get a completely brown lawn. It greens back up as it grows, but then you cut it again and you are back to brown.

If the bermuda is going dormant soon, you may just let it be for the rest of the year. Then, right before it starts to green up, cut it short and fill in the low spots with soil or sand. That way, as it greens up, the new growth will start at the lower level.

Of course, if you are someplace in zone 10 that never actually gets cold, you may as well cut it short in 1 burst. Fertilize it and keep it watered well and it will bounce back quickly.

Thanks Bill,

I'm in 8B. I'm not sure if I want to work on this or spend my time on other home projects. I may just continue with the rotary mower. Thanks for your input.

Cut it with the rotary until March. Scalp it with the rotary. Fill the low spots with loamy soil. Cut weekly with reel mower at 1" for about 1 1/2 months. Then lower to 3/4 which will scalp it again. Mow every five days until September. Of course you should apply high nitrogen fertilzer every month beginning in early spring.

I would leave it until spring... then cut it low with your rotary, bagging everything. Then rent a dethatcher and go to town. You won't believe the mess, but it's worth it. I would then rake up the big stuff and use the mower again (as vacuum) or rent a vacuum. If you're going with a reel then I might even cut it again with the reel at like .6" and take another pass with the dethatcher just touching the surface and repeat cleanup. Feed it, water it, and get ready for spring growth spurt. That's what I would do anyway... Bermudakid said weekly at 1" because in the spring it grows like crazy. I mow 3-4 times per week at 3/4" in the spring. I use a power reel as I don't think i could move a push reel unless i did it every day. Personally I think a rotary at 1" looks like crap unless it's very flat. I would stick to 1.5" with a rotary on a lumpy yard.

If you look for 'top dressing' you will get lots of hits on how to flatten your yard. By sprinkle do you mean 5 wheel barrels? that's what i would call a sprinkle :)

If you're not ready to fall in love with your grass, then keep the rotary high and delete this thread :)

I think I agree with just about everything said. Just to reiterate one important point, if your surface is lumpy, then leave the grass a little longer.

If your surface is lumpy, come back here next July and we'll fix you up with a plan to give you a putting green smooth lawn in one (or two) pass(es). It has to be done in the hottest part of the bermuda growing season for it to work. Other than that, I would live with the lumps confident in the knowledge that resurfacing is a little bit of work but amazingly effective.

Where do you live? 8B is not that helpful.

I guess he does not care anymore.

Been very busy. I have projects to keep me busy for quite some time. Once I mowed the lawn and actually got a good idea of how uneven the surface is, I decided not try and level out the lawn. To give you an idea there are a couple of extended dips that are about 5 inches lower than the rest of the surface.

This also struck a chord with me "If you're not ready to fall in love with your grass, then keep the rotary high and delete this thread :)" I am not ready to love my lawn.

BTW San Diego

Thanks again to all

Tom

San Diego. Okay, unless you live in downtown San Diego, where around San Diego do you live? The San Diego area, like the Los Angeles area, has too many pockets of soil and climate issues to be helpful. If you are in a hilly area (like most of San Diego), growing bermuda might be a problem simply because you don't get enough direct sunlight. If you live in La Jolla or otherwise near the coast (late night and early morning low clouds near the coast burning off by 11), you might have problems with not enough sunlight.

Assuming you have enough sunlight to make bermuda practical, leveling it should not be a problem. You can start with the 5-inch deep hole now by dropping sand into it. Bring it up about four to four and a half inches now and the grass will cover it in the spring. If you have time this winter you could scalp it and level it now. Or wait for the final leveling until the grass is growing well in late spring (June). It is simpler to do now assuming the grass is not growing.

I'm inland about 18 miles from the coast. Currrently, the front yard does not get too much sun. I'm going to wait and see the sun patterns later this year, I've only been in this house two months. I also have several other projects that are higher on the priority list, so I may come back to this at a later date.

Thanks

If you are mostly shady, then St Augustine will be the only true grass that will thrive. You might look into alternative ground covers like dwarf monkey grass.