Next steps for new Bermuda lawn from seed (West Texas)
tenacity24
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (11)
Related Discussions
Weed in new bermuda lawn, Help please
Comments (6)Relax guy, no problem Mon. You got new sod laid late in the season, you are going to have weeds so get use to it. Personally I would not worry about the Poa, but if it irritates you spray everything green with Round Up. Just make sure the Bermuda is dormant. In the meantime relax until the end of February. Last week of February or first week of March Apply a product called AMAZE. It is a long half life Pre-Emergence herbicide. Water it in and relax for a few of weeks. Once you are certain all chances of frost have past, get the lawn mower out and scalp the lawn down. I do not mean down to dirt, but enough to get all the dormant brown grass blades cut. Rake up all the debris and relax again for a few weeks until the weather warms up. Once you see some green sprigs of Bermuda growing after it starts to warm up, apply your first fertilizer application using a balanced fertilizer. Go to your local Home Depot and buy some Lesco 20-5-10 or 15-5-10 to do the job. Apply at the proper rate of 5 pounds per 1000/ft2 and water it in. From that point on find the BERMUDA BIBLE and follow the directions and RELAX....See MoreTexas Weed Bermuda Bible
Comments (27)Bermuda can take the fertilizer. What is your watering regimen? How often and for how long? For the rest of the world, deep and infrequent watering is the mantra. For California, it seems most restrictions require shallow and frequent watering. Here's a picture showing the difference in some well established lawns. These happen to be in Eastern Pennsylvania, but the idea is the same. Picture was taken in July several years ago. The lawn on the right gets watered with an inch of water once a week. The rest of the neighborhood waters daily. Now, to be fair, the guy on the right uses organic fertilizer and has perfected his soil with repeated soil testing. He also has a different variety of Kentucky bluegrass than the others; however, he has achieved the exact performance with other, contractor grade, Kentucky bluegrass in the neighborhood. Deep watering means 1 inch all at one time. My favorite turbo oscillator sprinkler on the hose takes 8 full hours to get an inch (as measured by cat food cans placed around the yard). My understanding is that in California you can't water that long. During all of last year our water restrictions in San Antonio allowed us to water with a sprinkler for a total of 7 hours on one day every 2 weeks. We could hand water any time. Watering deeply is the key to making it work. What are your rules?...See MoreLawn ID from new grass seed
Comments (5)The type(s) of grass you used should be listed on the bag of seed you bought. If you don't have it, then from your pics and description of how long it took to germinate I'd guess you have mostly rye grass, probably perennial, but it could also be annual. If you have a mix of grasses, then your mix probably has some seeds that haven't germinated yet, or have just started. It's essential to keep seeds continually moist until the period for germination is over but that depends on the grass type. Growing grass and taking care of it isn't rocket science, you need to cut it regularly, water it when it needs water, and fertilizer periodically. Unfortunately you have overseeded your warm season grass with a cool season grass. It's going to look great now and probably through the winter and spring, but once the heat returns, it will struggle, and the warm season grass will start to wake up and compete with what you just planted. Also overseeding warm season grass will weaken it and it's quality won't be as nice next year. Since you already overseeded you might as well take care of your new grass. Mow it when it reaches 3 inches tall, cut it down to 2 inches. Do a search on this forum and you will find many threads regarding new lawns, overseeding warm seeding grasses, cool season grasses, and other lawn care info....See MoreBrand new lawn from seed...now what?
Comments (10)Molasses is great stuff! I recently read an article shown to me by Louis from Midlothian, TX. I'll go dig it up and post it here in a new thread. It makes for great discussion. I use liquid molasses, Grandma's Unsulphured Blackstrap when I can find it. Otherwise just any unsulphured. Some may argue that others are better but to me it's all sweet and I think the bacteria feel the same. I'd like to try the dried molasses but have never been very aggresive about finding it. I always forget when I'm making the trip to the feed store (it's almost an hour away) and usually just grab some Grandma's when I'm at the grocery store. I mix four tablespoons molasses in my hose end sprayer along with a half teaspoon of powdered seaweed concentrate and 1/2 teaspoon of humic acid. Mix 'em up with warm water and spray it all over everything. Usually right before I do a foliar application of ACT. I like to do it before I apply the ACT so I'm not knocking the freshly applied bacteria off the leaf surfaces, and it gives them a nice sticky food to sink there feet into. What better way to keep foliar bacteria applications in place than to paste 'em there with molasses? LOL Actually they create their own bio-film which helps them to adhere to leaf surfaces. The benefit is they're outcompeting any disease organisms for food on the leaf surfaces so it greatly reduces the risk of common airborn diseases. It worked on my crabapple trees for Cedar Rust this year. Last year they were horrible, this year it's been drastically reduced to just a few leaves. Next year I suspect it will be even better. Good soil soaks of ACT reduce the risk of soil born diseases, but keep in mind that's only going to work if your soil is aerobic. If you've got compaction it's not allowing enough oxygen to penetrate and the soil can and will become anaerobic. These anaerobic microbes is where pathogens and diseases come from (not all diseases are anaerobic, but all soil born pathogens are). Make sure you've got good organic matter deep in your soil and not just at the surface. Use a tree root feeder to inject Efficient Microbes into the lower layers of soil so they can start to make it inhabitable for the anaerobic guys. Follow it up with Nitron A-35 injections to further the cause and then give it a shot of good fungal dominant ACT. Once these microbes get in there and start working on the soil they'll make it there home and compaction will be a thing of the past. You'll see your soil change colors and texture as the seasons pass. You'll build a soil that your hands easily penetrate. Imagine planting bulbs in Fall or annuals in Spring without needing a spade or trowel. Imagine walking past a weed and snatching it from the ground with no effort. Imagine growing vegetables that are sweeter and better for you than anything you can buy at the store. Did you know that a vegetable or fruit becomes sweeter and taste better the more nutritious it is? Many of us have never tasted what is really possible with growing vegetables in soil laden with elements and minerals that our bodies crave. There's a way to measure these nutrition levels through the brix in the plant with a refractometer. An inexpensive little device that uses the liquid from a crushed leaf or fruit of a plant to measure the amount of sugars in the plant. The higher the brix levels, the more nutritious and better tasting the fruit of the plant will be. Well, I've got work to do. Good talking to you guys and hope that gives ya'll something to think on for awhile. Fescue Planter I'll be around. If anyone has any questions I do answer my emails if you don't hear from me. Greenjeans Here is a link that might be useful: Inexpensive Refractometer......See Moretenacity24
8 years agobic9
8 years agoWes
8 years agobic9
8 years agoWes
8 years agotenacity24
8 years agodchall_san_antonio
8 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESHow to Plant a New Lawn From Sod
Take the quick-start route to turf with sod; these installation guidelines will help ensure a healthy and long-lasting lawn
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: Unplugging From High Tech in a Texas Farmhouse
This simply styled home gives an Austin family all the warmth of comfort food and all the amenities of modern times
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESHow to Prep Your Ground for a Healthy New Lawn
Seed or sod that falls on weedy, lumpy soil is a wasted effort. Follow these steps to ensure that your new lawn will thrive
Full StorySAVING WATERHouzz Call: Are You Letting Go of Your Lawn?
Many facing a drought are swapping turf for less thirsty plantings. If you’re one of them, we’d like to hear about it
Full StoryGREAT HOME PROJECTSHow to Replace Your Lawn With a Garden
New project for a new year: Lose the turfgrass for energy savings, wildlife friendliness and lower maintenance
Full StoryFARMHOUSESHouzz Tour: German Tradition Deep in the Heart of Texas
Rooted in architecture from the 1800s, this award-winning home mixes history with the vernacular of today
Full StoryBEFORE AND AFTERSSee 6 Yards Transformed by Losing Their Lawns
Wondering whether a turf lawn is the best use of your outdoor space? These homeowners did, and they found creative alternatives
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNGet Along With Less Lawn — Ideas to Save Water and Effort
Ditch the mower and lower your water bill while creating a feast for the eyes with diverse plantings and gathering places
Full StoryEARTH DAYThe Case for Losing the Traditional Lawn
Work less, help the environment and foster connections by just saying no to typical turf
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGN15 Great Ideas for a Lawn-Free Yard
End the turf war for good with hardscaping, native grasses and ground covers that save water and are easier to maintain
Full Story
t_d_harvey