Does Bermuda Grass Grow at Night? (+ Basic Care)
Short Answer: Bermuda grass will grow both day and night. The energy from the sun helps the grass to grow during the daylight hours. With the right temperatures at night, grass will continue to grow.
How Long Does It Take for Bermuda Grass to Grow?
Bermuda grass can grow faster than many other types of grass. It all depends on the conditions as well as whether it’s growing from seed. Typically, Bermuda grass will take 14 to 21 days to germinate if you take care of it every step of the way.
It’s important to understand that Bermuda grass is a warm season grass. If the night temperatures are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the growth will be significantly slower. When there are several warm nights in a row, it will be easier to see sustained growth.
With this in mind, it’s important to consider the season. There’s no perfect answer for how long it will take the grass to grow. In the winter, growth may be nearly nonexistent if the temperatures are in the 40s or 50s. In the summer, it’s not uncommon for grass to grow an inch in between weekly mowings.
Caring for Bermuda Grass
It’s important to understand how to care for Bermuda grass. If you don’t provide it with the proper amount of water and nutrients, it can die. There are all sorts of questions that you might have, and we have dealt with them all. By asking some questions, you can ensure that you know all there is to know about caring for the grass.
Can You Water Bermuda Grass Too Much?
Bermuda grass is actually a drought-resistant variety, which means that too much water can be detrimental. The water for your grass is going to come from one of two sources – rainfall and irrigation. If you’re experiencing plenty of rain to keep the blades of grass erect, there’s no need to run sprinklers.
One of the cool things about Bermuda grass is that it will actually tell you when it’s thirsty. Okay, so it won’t say it verbally, but the blades will bow down as if trying to reach for any water that might be on the ground. If you want to keep your grass properly hydrated, plan on setting your sprinklers on a twice per week schedule.
If you water the grass too much, it’s not going to have the good strong roots needed to stay green. Drought-resistant grass reaches deeper into the ground so that it’s protected from the cold and heat. If it doesn’t have to dig to reach the moisture, your grass will not be as healthy as you want it to be.
How Do You Keep Bermuda Grass Green All Year?
Green grass is the sign of a healthy lawn. Most people have to work at maintaining the green lawn, though. It doesn’t happen accidentally.
You’ll need to follow a calendar of care and know-how to troubleshoot some of the different issues that can occur.
Essentially, there are a few lawn care services you’ll want to familiarize yourself with:
- Mowing
- Removing thatch
- Aeration
- Weed control
- Disease control
- Insect control
- Fertilization
- Irrigation
What you do in the spring may be the opposite of what you do in the fall. Additionally, you’ll need to know how to test the soil and how to spot weeds so that you know what to use to make improvements.
Applying a pre-emergent herbicide can reduce the appearance of weeds. If you notice other issues, such as dollar spot and large patch, you’re dealing with fungal diseases. This means you’ll not only need a fungicide but also need to explore soil drainage as there may be too much water.
As for fertilizer, what you apply depends on the temperatures. Nitrogen is better for the warmer months. In the colder months, you’ll benefit from lime, sulfur, and even potassium – though a soil test will tell you exactly what you need.
In the late winter, early spring, you’ll want to determine if thatch is becoming problematic so that you can deal with it right away. You’ll also want to aerate around the same time so that more air can get to the root system.
Ultimately, if you want to keep your grass green, it’s something that you have to constantly work to maintain. You can choose to take the DIY approach or hire a company to maintain it for you.
Will Your Grass Become Dormant?
There’s also something else to keep in mind. No matter what you do to keep your grass green and healthy, it may go dormant in the winter. This means that it will turn brown and stay brown until the temperatures start to rise.
Bermuda grass is only capable of staying green all year long in a frost-free climate. As soon as the soil temperatures reach 50 degrees and below, you’ll have to deal with it going dormant. If you don’t want to deal with dormancy, you can explore some of the hybrid varieties that will be able to survive the colder weather.
Such varieties you may want to consider include:
- Sahara
- Princess 77
- Riviera
- Yukon
It all depends on how much care you want to give your grass and whether you’re okay with it turning brown when the colder months of the year strike.
How Often Should You Cut Bermuda Grass?
The frequency of when you mow will depend on the time of year. Additionally, you have to consider things like whether you’ll bag or not and what your mowing setting should be set to.
January through April, mow every two weeks or so. Keep your settings to 1 inch so you don’t accidentally scalp your lawn. Additionally, it’s a good idea to bag your clippings so that the dead material left from winter dormancy isn’t left behind.
Through the summer, mow when the height is at 1 to 2 inches. If you notice that there is too much stress, let the grass grow higher before mowing again. In most instances, you’ll find yourself mowing every three to seven days, depending on the temperatures of where you live.
As the weather drops, your mowing height will rise. Additionally, you’ll find that you can go about two weeks between mowing sessions.
How to Overcome Various Issues
Bermuda grass can be temperamental, just like every other variety of grass. As you grow and care for it on your property, there may be various issues that you deal with. Understanding how to take care of common problems can help to keep your grass green and looking well-kept throughout the year.
Why Is My Bermuda Grass Brown After Mowing?
Bermuda grass can be temperamental. If you cut it too short, it will get stressed out. Similarly, too long and it will also get stressed out.
In most instances, a height between 1 and 1 ½ inches is ideal. Get in the habit of using a ruler to measure your grass – place the ruler to the ground and measure the full edge of the blade.
When the temperatures are high or there isn’t sufficient rainfall, the grass is more likely to be stressed. If you notice the grass is brown after mowing, raise the height.
It’s also important to note that if the grass is too long, it may be green only on the top. The rest of the grass may be brown because it’s not getting enough sun (and possibly too much water). This is when you might need to lower the grass setting to one inch. Continue to raise the height until you stop seeing an issue. Also, be sure you sharpen your mower blades periodically.
How Do You Keep Bermuda Grass from Spreading?
Bermuda grass can spread over time to areas where you don’t want it – walkways, garden beds, and landscaped areas.
One of the reasons why Bermuda grass can spread so easily is because there are two types of shoots:
- Stolons are the aboveground shoots
- Rhizomes are the below-ground shoots
When they’re cut and left on wet soil, they’ll root into the soil and create new plants. This means that you have to be cautious about allowing your mower to leave the clippings behind, especially if there’s a bunch of fresh, wet soil nearby.
The grass is often going to spread unless you actively do something about it. One of the easiest things to do is deny the grass any kind of sun. Black plastic over the edge of the grass you don’t want to spread will help to kill it. Once there’s no sun to provide energy to the roots, it will stop spreading and, eventually, die.
If you need to stop the grass from spreading quickly, you can buy various lawn killing chemicals that you can spray. It will kill the roots and prevent the further spread of the grass.
Depending on why you don’t want the grass to spread, you may also want to look at various hardscape techniques in your yard. Landscape barriers will prevent the stolons from being able to spread. Consider either a concrete walk or even heavy plastic edging.