The Grass Doctor

Bermuda help!!?

I put out 15 lbs of Bermuda seed and scotts starter fertlizier on my new 90x60 lot a little over a month ago and there were a lot of weeds at the time. I watered it everyday for a month and I have alot of grass now but I can't tell if its bermuda. Someone said kill the weeds so I just sprayed a whole bottle of Ortho Weed-B-Gone for southern lawns and a day later I can already see that the majority of my lawn is turning yellow. What do I do now? Plant more bermuda seed?

Public Comments

1. Bermuda can be hard to get growing. If you reseed be sure the seed has good soil to ground contact. Bermuda seed sometimes comes with a coating usually green that is supposed to help keep it from rotting and bug free however I have found it doesnt grow as well.
2. Keep watering the lawn and see what happens. The weed b gone shouldn't harm the Bermuda, but I've never sprayed it on such new grass before. I don't know what weeds you have, but weed b gone will only kill broad-leaf weeds. Take some samples of what is growing in your lawn to your local nursery. I'm not talking about the garden section of home depot; go to an actual nursery. They will be able to tell you if you have Bermuda, and what weeds you have and how to kill those weeds. They will also have good advice on how to re-plant if you need to. Ask them if Bermuda is the best grass for your climate. If you decide to plant again, mow the weeds down really low. Prepare the ground by going over it with a tiller or verti-cutter and level it the best you can. You basically want the top of the soil to be loose so the seeds can sprout and take root. Spread the seed and cover it with a dusting of composted steer manure or forest mulch (found in 1 - 3 cu ft bags). Water it 3-6 times a day for 5 minutes at a time until the seeds sprout. In hot weather you should see the sprouts in about a week (I've seen them in 4 days, but I live in AZ). Good luck!
3. Never put weed killer on new grass, it can't handle it. Plus bermuda is more tempermental than other grasses. Mow it short, and water heavily, mowing may get rid of the damage and if it has been up a month you will likely have enough roots to revive. Do this and wait a couple of weeks before reseeding. The good thing about bermuda is that while it may pitch a fit at weed killers, and turn yellow, it is usually hardy enough to bounce back. I have to use two sprays or more of roundup to kill the stuff out.
4. Hello, Now that you have planted the Bermuda and sprayed the weeds let the Bermuda take over where the weeds are turning yellow. For lots more detailed information on gardening please secilysgardentips.com Best wishes for a green lovely lawn, Secily W.