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Dormant bermuda, high traffic, will it survive?

14 years ago

Hi folks. Seems like the neighborhood kids have figured out that my side lawn is the only one with no tree in the middle of it, making it a choice spot for multiple hour football games and assorted other activities. In the summer, I usually only get after them if it is muddy but otherwise I always seem to be able to keep the yard reasonably healthy. However, now the yard is dormant and they're really begun spending a ton of time on it. Besides a lot of loose dead grass being thrown all over my sidewalks and driveway, I'm starting to feel like the yard is thinning out. I see more dirt and the yard is totally yellow. I'm wondering if I need to be concerned about whether the yard will rebound in the Spring if I don't ask them to play elsewhere.

Assuming I should have asked them to stop sooner, what's my best course of action now to prepare the yard for recovery? (Note: I did put down broad and grassy pre-emergents back in September)

Thanks for the help.

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Comments (5)

garycinchicago
14 years ago
>"what's my best course of action now to prepare the yard for recovery?"

{{gwi:121643}}
rcnaylor
14 years ago
When dormant it won't hurt it. Eventually you may want to areate it more. And, if the top covering gets worn down, it may be more important to apply a product that keeps weeds from germinating at the appropriate time next spring. But, really, not much extra to let the kids have a good safe place to have some fun?
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texas_weed
14 years ago
Three problems:

1. The dormant Bermuda will get beat down and turned to dust, leaving you with bare dirt.

2. Soil compaction.

3. Break through the chemical barrier you laid down as pre-emergence allowing more weeds to pop up..

However none of it is fatal, but by next June it will be thinner, not as lush, and weedier than last year, unless you take corrective action. No mattry what, it will take longer for you to see it green up because all the top dormant material is beat down and gone.

You will at least want to aerate the soil next spring after it has greened up to relieve the soil compaction issue.
texasredhead
14 years ago
I have never seen bermuda killed, even phased for that matter. One of the most frequently asked questions is how to get rid of bermuda!
dchall_san_antonio
14 years ago
One of the most frequently asked questions is how to get rid of bermuda!

I've commented many a time about how I killed 200 square feet of bermuda. I smothered it with 2-9 inches of sand and covered that with 2 inches of mulch. I did not use any chemicals.

Shade is what kills out bermuda. You just have to get enough shade down.

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