Bermuda grass questions

[Tskinne3]

It sucks for sure. My yard is really too big for it, but I do it anyway.

I commend you sir. I've reel mowed enough tees and greens to tied me over for the rest of my life. I was on bentgrass greens for most of my time on the golf course and we walk mowed everyone. With 22 inch mowers. We also walk mowed tees at one point in time.

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[albatros43]

I commend you sir. I've reel mowed enough tees and greens to tied me over for the rest of my life. I was on bentgrass greens for most of my time on the golf course and we walk mowed everyone. With 22 inch mowers. We also walk mowed tees at one point in time.

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Well, I'm not so sure I'm smart to do it. My Tru-Cut is 19" and I'd guess my yard is a good third of an acre. I have Reel Works over in Braselton maintain my mower, but it will only last 7 or 8 cuts before it has to be sharpened again. If I go one cut too long, it will tear the top of the grass and it will look yellow. I only cut every 6 days (can't do it twice a week) and the grass usually starts out awesome and then seems to fade over the season.

 

[Tskinne3]

Well, I'm not so sure I'm smart to do it. My Tru-Cut is 19" and I'd guess my yard is a good third of an acre. I have Reel Works over in Braselton maintain my mower, but it will only last 7 or 8 cuts before it has to be sharpened again. If I go one cut too long, it will tear the top of the grass and it will look yellow. I only cut every 6 days (can't do it twice a week) and the grass usually starts out awesome and then seems to fade over the season.

Does it need to be sharpened or does the bed knife just need to be adjusted? That sound awful short for it to have to be sharpened or even backlapped for that matter. A simple reel to knife adjustment after every 2 or 3 cuts usually gets you through a season with maybe 1 backlap. Unless you're cutting zoysia. Then you might as well be mowing steel wool.

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[blake]

Man, lots of conflicting info in this thread. I'm just looking for a decent green lawn without weeds, not a golf course or football field.

So, now it sounds like mowing lower is better as long as you don't take off more than 1/3 of the blade, and water a lot but don't over water.


My Rain Bird 5000 heads run 0.25"/hr, so would I be better to run them (3 zones) two times, twice a week? Like 1am for a full cycle (2hr 15 min) and again at 3am for a full cycle? Tuesday and Friday?

My main goal right now is getting my bermuda as healthy as possible while crowding out / starving out the crabgrass and dallisgrass. It's all super green and lush, but sounds like that's not good because it's so tall.

 

[Glocksmith]

THIS IS SO OBVIOUS! It's your soil!

First off, Bermuda grass is drought resistant. It only needs 1/2" per week of water. It can withstand eight (8) weeks of dry weather and still take care of itself. That's right, TAKE CARE OF ITS SELF. If you're doing all the work for it it won't fix itself.

Focus on the soil and that will take care of the grass. If you keep treating the grass and not the soil you'll have the results that you have now.

Aeration, Lime, and Milorganite will fix it. Fix your soil to fix your grass.

Learning the signs of what your grass/lawn is telling you what it needs is how to act on it. This is a constantly changing during each season month to month, week to week, day to day. That's just the facts about getting the lawn you want and putting in the work. No work no results- learn this and you will have great grass/lawn. You have to go with the changes THAT'S THE FACT!

Never , ever, never never use round up on Bermuda grass, ever for any type of growth.

Only use on Bermuda grass is to destroy.

Nitrogen is only good for the color green. You can't green a bare spot of clay.

You couldn't change your mowing height on any mower in the world to fix a bare dead spot.

Most likely you're watering with "city water" or "tap water" from your spigot. That water is treated to kill germs/bacteria and such. Then you put it in your soil and over water; so now your killing the stuff in the soil that it needs to promote health soil: healthy grass.

Rain water is pure water. It can't be counted on for regular watering so we use water that we have access to and than your counterproductive! I use filters and everything thrives!

Keep in mind the OP. We are talking to someone who asked a specific question, don't answer general questions off typic.

 

[albatros43]

Man, lots of conflicting info in this thread. I'm just looking for a decent green lawn without weeds, not a golf course or football field.

So, now it sounds like mowing lower is better as long as you don't take off more than 1/3 of the blade, and water a lot but don't over water.


My Rain Bird 5000 heads run 0.25"/hr, so would I be better to run them (3 zones) two times, twice a week? Like 1am for a full cycle (2hr 15 min) and again at 3am for a full cycle? Tuesday and Friday?

My main goal right now is getting my bermuda as healthy as possible while crowding out / starving out the crabgrass and dallisgrass. It's all super green and lush, but sounds like that's not good because it's so tall.

Cut often enough so you don't cut more than 1/3 of the blade height. Aerate. Fertilize. Aim for an inch of rain/irrigation per week. I've never done the lime thing and my grass looks good. The fertilizer company has also never recommended lime. Bermuda likes to be short as has been stated. I'd aim to keep it at 2" or lower.

 

[Swede]

Put some Windex on it

 

[albatros43]

Put some Windex on it

Spray yard with Round-up and cover with gravel.

 

[emortensen]

OP, you mention you don't work. I'm not saying you want your lawn to be your life, but if you wanted to make it a hobby to have a lawn that looks like a golf course you could do it.

I like having a good looking green yard, doesn't have to be a putting green. I will try the lime thing and continue to mow at the current height. Even though I don't work I can't imagine mowing my yard every other day, maybe next year I'll cut it lower.

 

[emortensen]

I want to thank everyone for their tips, I hope I can make heads or tails out of it all!