Do you want to have a great looking Bermuda lawn?

Bermuda grass is one of the more common types of lawns that people have here in The Greater Triangle.

Even though Bermuda grass is heat and drought tolerant, having a great looking Bermuda lawn can still be a challenge for many homeowners.

If you want to have a great looking lawn this year here are seven easy to follow tips that will help.

Bermuda Lawn Care Tips

1 | Scalp Your Lawn In The Spring

Bermuda grass is known as a warm season grass because it goes dormant during the cooler months of the year.

Here in North Carolina Bermuda lawns start to come alive in mid-April and actively grow through September.

In The Greater Triangle including Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Chapel Hill and Durham, Bermuda grass lawns begin to go dormant in October.

Scalping your lawn in the early Spring, usually in April, is a way to remove the dead and dormant grass that’s still there.

You can cut your lawn down to 1/4 or 1/2 inches and bag the excess clippings so that your new grass can begin to grow.

2 | Mow Your Lawn Frequently

Bermuda grass can grow fast!

Ideally, it’s best to mow Bermuda grass lawns every four or five days.

If your lawn is really growing you may even want to mow it every three to four days.

Mowing your lawn consistently and frequently trains your grass to grow sideways and spread out over your yard making a thick cover rather than growing upward.

Mowing at least once a week is the minimum for having a nice yard.

If you skip weeks or mow every other week you run the risk of damaging the grass and causing your lawn to look spotty.

Your Height of Cut (HOC) should be anywhere from 1 inch to 2 3/4 inches depending on how frequently you water and fertilize your lawn.

3 | Water Your Lawn Regularly

This is one of the biggest issues I see for homeowners here in the Triangle.

Every type of grass, including Bermuda, needs a minimum of one inch of water to stay healthy.

Anything less than an inch of water weekly and your lawn will go into survival mode and stop growing.

One way to tell if your lawn is getting enough water is to use a moisture gauge to check.

Here’s one I use and recommend (Amazon Affiliate Link)

If you walk on your grass and it crunches or leaves footprints in the summertime when it’s hot, your lawn isn’t getting enough water to thrive.

4 | Aerate Your Lawn In Late Spring

Core aeration improves the quality of your soil and your lawn by allowing nutrients and oxygen to penetrate into the ground.

The best time to aerate Bermuda grass lawns in between mid-April and June.

Aeration in combination with topdressing or adding compost should be done annually to keep your soil from becoming compressed.

5 | Fertilize Your Lawn Regularly

Like most living creatures and plants your grass likes to eat!

Fertilizing your lawn regularly is the best way to make sure your Bermuda lawn is getting the nutrients it needs to thrive.

I recommend using the Andersons Professional PGF Complete 16-4-8 Fertilizer for Bermuda grass lawns. (Amazon Affiliate Link)

6 | Spot Treat For Active Weeds

Nobody likes weeds in their nice Bermuda grass lawn!

But weeds happen.

Getting rid of actively growing weeds can be difficult but you have a few options.

The first option is to pull or dig them up. This is time consuming and can leaves holes in your lawn.

Another option is to apply a post-emergent weed killer directly to your lawn. *Always make sure you read the label to be sure any herbicide is compatible with your grass type and any other ornamentals that may be close by.

Here are a couple of options that I have experience using in my own lawn and with clients. (Amazon Affiliate Link)

7 | Apply Pre-emergent Weed Control

Last but definitely not least… One of the best ways to have a great looking Bermuda grass lawn is to apply pre-emergent weed control to your lawn.

Pre-emergent weed control stops weeds from germinating and needs to be applied in the late fall and late winter or early spring.

Here in the Triangle, as a general rule I recommend applying a split application of pre-emergent in November, late February and mid-March.

There are several great pre-emergent products available. Here are a couple of my top choices. (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Follow these seven steps and you’ll be on your way to having a great looking lawn!

Get Help With Your Lawn

If you’re ready to start an annual plan for your lawn click here and complete the contact form.

If you want to DIY your lawn yourself, but aren’t sure where to start be sure to check out Lawn Care Academy.

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