Choosing Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass is considered one of the best-looking warm weather lawn grasses for southern lawns. The older common Bermudagrass has been available for many years and is the only type available as seed. Over the past decade plant breeders have created newer, improved hybrid Bermudagrasses which come in sprigs or in sod. They have a finer texture and tighter form than the older common ones.

Bermudagrasses produce dense turf with a vigorous green color. They wear well, have good drought and salt tolerance, establish rapidly and are quite competitive against weeds. The down side is that Bermudagrasses also create a relatively high maintenance turf, because they are vulnerable to many insect and disease problems.

Bermudagrasses spread very rapidly by runners both above (stolons) and below (rhizomes) ground that are very difficult to control along edges of flower beds, walks, and borders. Thatch buildup can also be a problem with Bermudagrass. Bermudagrass goes dormant and turns brown when cold weather arrives except in mid to southern Florida. Overseeding in fall with annual ryegrass is a common practice among southern yardeners to maintain year-round green color.