Why Bermuda Won't Stay Green - The Grass Factor

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Matt Martin
5312 W Beaver Creek Dr
Powell, TN 37849
Equipment Used:
Permagreen, Lesco, GNC Sprayers, SOLO, Helena Chemical, Quali-Pro, Syngenta, DowAgro, Harrells, Dickens Turf and Landscape Supply, NuFarm, Bayer, FMC, GORDONS, Prime Source, DJI Phantom, Samsung Galaxy s8+, GoPro Hero 3+, Nikon D3200

[@pestandlawnginja]

Loved this video. Great breakdown on how bermuda grows. Makes total sense.

[@alansmith2162]

This is what I needed to know. My (relatively new) lawn (about 18 months old) is SUPER uneven (both local dips and an overall slope). When I went to a lower mowing height, every time I mow it looks browner. As the grass grows again, it greens up, but then I recut and boom...brown underneath. There's also the scalp patches you're showing. Now I know I can go low a few times a year to cut the stems back, and fertilize/water to get that green back. THANKS!

[@GrassDaddy]

That's why I like to learn the "why" behind "the book rules". Once you know the reasons, you can start to make a plan based on your specific lawn.

[@shannonglover5291]

This was actually an awesome discussion. I too have started bermuda this year and knew about this however didn't think about lower performance on spreading with no foliage. Great advice.

[@Nightowl82]

I live in KC and mow my Bermuda lawn at 3.5” it looks great

[@brandonmurphy4657]

I mow mine at4in in Maryland . It looks great

[@elij.s.7580]

I've seen the scalping happen so many times with wide cut riding mowers. Any variation in ground height is multiplied across a wider cutting deck. My main weapon of choice is a 36" walk behind. I always pay close attention to where it's set, I paid an extra grand just to have the floating deck model. When people ask me to lower it beyond a certain setting I have to say no, or do certain spots with a 21". Great advice about resetting stem height. Thanks and I look forward to learning more!

[@bothfeetin]

Excellent advice on scalping and raising the mower height to get the green foliage to grow on the lower part of the stem. My yard is not that steep but what I did for uneven terrain was to top dress in march and spread bermuda seed. Fertilized once a month and as of today, my yard looks amazing compared to last year. I always hated it when I skipped a week of cutting just cut off all the green on my bermuda grass.

[@TheLawnTools]

Great vid 👍🏼. I need to do a huge leveling project soon. This is a problem I’m having too.

[@Quackalott]

A good heavy garden roller used across the slope when soil is moist followed by a good spiking several times a year will flatten out the high spots over time, works very well on formal/striped lawns too.

[@MrPaulooo2]

CUT WITH A GREENS MOWER

[@EricScherrer]

Topdress will help too

[@Cenlalowell]

I'm glad I seen I need to do this because my yard is scalping bad. Thanks

[@Toppslawncare]

Thanks for the info. Starting a lawn care company spring 2018

[@WorldwideJaye]

Man! Thank you sooooo much 4:45 is exactly what ive been look for, i have that exact issue. Ill be trying that this week!

[@FresYESLawnDude]

Oh so glad I ran into this video!! Fricken Martin!!! The Brain!! Thanks man

[@ColonelK0rn1]

Nice advice on how to help the bermuda lawns. I have an uneven lawn, and I was thinking you were going to suggest that they topdress the entire lawn to try to get it to even out, but your explanation countered that. Thanks for the video, and looking forward to the update on your hot mess.

[@arielrodriguez6980]

I have bermuda/st augustine mix. What height should I mow in order to keep both?

[@czrs85]

great tip! amazing will definitely help me here in Arizona.

[@user-qs8lv7wp2c]

Thanks for the tip, i live down in the Rio grand valley McAllen tx. And we all have a mixture of st. Augustine with Bermuda and I noticed that happens quite a bit what you were talking about so I'm going to do exactly what you said Thank you again

[@commonsenseandreason2492]

Very helpful! Thank you very much.

[@shaunslawn4286]

Thanks

[@pappagiorgio1675]

Awesome Video!! This solves a lot of my questions. Thanks!

[@TheGrassFactor]

+Brady Aldrich thanks!

[@eddiedelateja5304]

What should I do if I'm having the issues you explained but it's summer time in central Texas? Do you recommend dropping hoc during drought conditions?

[@adamc1706]

If you're looking for more answers on it, it's normally referred to as a HOC reset. I would make sure that your yard is healthy, well watered and well fed if you want to do a HOC reset in the peak of summer. If it's growing vigorously then it should have no problem bouncing back in no time. If your yard is somewhat struggling, dry spots in some areas then i would avoid it for now and just mow a notch higher. This generally only happens when you fall slightly behind with bermuda, like i started at 2" and now i'm mowing at 2.5"

[@backtobasics4500]

Great tip,thanks

[@bobbycooke8974]

Good information, thank you!

[@TheGrassFactor]

+Bobby Cooke thanks Bobby!

[@Velvethamma]

Nothing worse than an uneven lawn full of scalp marks. Great advice!

[@TheGrassFactor]

Velvethamma it's brutal, ain't it?! thanks!

[@Oceanusnovas-um2zf]

How often should you fertilize your bermuda grass if this is your first time getting bermuda grass in your yard??

[@TheGrassFactor]

What's more important is the amount of fertilizer to get down and its current state. Is it thin and bare? 6lbs of actual N/1000sqft. is it moderately full? 4lbs of N1000sqft. Deduce your P and K requirements based on how much N you need to apply.

[@realistreset8336]

Have to get reel to avoid scalp marks when mowing low.

[@TheGrassFactor]

💯💯💯 yessir! (With a floating head)

[@Born.N.Raised818]

Will a reel mower work for those uneven lawns?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Dr. Lawn it can - yes, if it's a very high end reel mower that can float the dips and divots. I wouldn't attempt this without a $3k Toro greens mower

[@TheGrassFactor]

Dr. Lawn one thing to note is I've been out of the golf world for a long time. I'm not up to date on new reel mowers. I'm speaking from dated experience.

[@MrPaulooo2]

YOU MUST BE A ROCKET SICENCETIST... RIGHT ON.

[@natearchibald5275]

this is exactly what is happening to my lawn!

[@mr.greenthumb4293]

Great video. I live in Texas and have Bermuda grass. What does it mean when your Bermuda is brown on the bottom and super green on top. I cut at 3 inches due to my lawn being uneven

[@adancastillo8729]

Dietrick McKinney there's nothing wrong with your grass, Bermuda grass actually grows like that.

[@adancastillo8729]

Dietrick McKinney 4:45

[@SOLDOZER]

Scalp it and spread mason sand on it in the summer to fill in the low spots.

[@booohoo1]

I have a Dilma. I was planning on laying new sod. stupid me spot sprayed my front yard ( which is mainly dirt ) for spotty weeds with ortho ground clear . It says anything sprayed wont grow anything for a year. my question is can I just lay new top soil and put new sod in top? I was told the chemical stays in the soil so I am afraid with all the watering it will raise the chemical through the new top soil and killing the sod ??

[@catbirdfeeder]

Working on ridding my front lawn of Bahaiagrass. Day 3 after spraying I can barely notice a slight yellow on some weeds. Says to repeat in 4 to 6 weeks. Kinda scary waiting to see the damage. I have Bermuda and centipede mixed. I hate dalisgrass and baaiahgrass.

[@TheGrassFactor]

+catbirdfeeder see I'm trying to spend less time in front of camera? 😉 What are you using on the Bahia?

[@catbirdfeeder]

The Grass Factor MSM TURF. I did .5 oz in 25 gal, with a 7nozzel boom sprayer on a tractor, with 3/4cup surfactant and not enough marking blue. Front lawn is exactly 1 acre. The label said to use .25 to .5 oz. of MSM per acre ON centipede. The lawn was not under stress and temp was 80 degrees. It rained 36 hrs later. I mowed 3 days before and haven't mowed yet since the spray, 3 days ago. About that surfactant, .25% by volume (1 qt/100gal). What does that even mean? Never mind, I googled it. I emailed the EPA LAST nite about giving us back the MSMA THey took away because of junk science. Hopefully since Trump owns a bunch of golf courses his lawn care people will have his ear and give us back MSMA.

[@catbirdfeeder]

The Grass Factor the MSM TURFF stunted the bahiaha grass at first, 17 days later is yellow and brown with no new growth . Not dead yet though. No crabgrass control from this msm turff at all so far. The Bermuda grass was not harmed at all! The centipede grass, was slightly, barely affected.

[@TheGrassFactor]

catbirdfeeder MSM is your best bet. One thing to note about it, it's extremely slow. It will not phase crab. Any regrowth of your Bahia, go ahead and spray again, but I'd give it at least 28 days.

[@catbirdfeeder]

The Grass Factor thanks! Ya know, since I have the very busy ear of an expert.....did I murder my centipede grass by spraying for the crabgrass with DRIVE XLR8 on the "back 40" (2 acres of garden turned to turf grass.)? The label said to not spray centipede grass plain as day...I just lost my mind and forgot! It's been 2 days and I'm just watching and waiting for the disaster. The crabgrass is already dying! But is my beautiful centipede gonna die soon? I CANNOT BARE TO WATCH!

[@cjslawncare2538]

Matt what would you recommend for getting rid of lawn rust? It's perennial ryegrass and Bermuda mix

[@travishernandez2193]

What kind of Bermuda grass is it?

[@ericevans4929]

I have an uneven tifway 419 bermuda lawn so I appreciate the tips. What do you consider fertilizing heavy? 1.5 lb N / 1k?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Eric Evans it depends on how much is slow and how much is immediately available. I think 1.5 immediately available is relatively heavy. I like to push the limits though 😂😂

[@JeffMadre]

I have the same problem with my Zoysia yard at the home we just moved into in May. It was too late to scalp it before green up. Can Zoysia take this same scalping treatment mid-season? I have in-ground irrigation.

[@TheGrassFactor]

+Jeff Madre yes sir. Scalp it, fert it, water it

[@JeffMadre]

The Grass Factor Thanks Matt! I'm enjoying your videos. I haven't found anything else that compares, especially your coverage of herbicides.

[@lawnman1226]

using a 28-0-0 50% slow releasebermuda. will it be to much to came back 4 weeks later with an organic

[@TheGrassFactor]

+breeze Lawn 4 weeks later, it'd probably need it

[@randyman8984]

Hey Matt, My lawn is very similar to this one(bermuda with a slope).I just got back my soil test and it reads 0.39 PPM for phosphorus, very low.They suggest me to put down a 0-45-0.I watched your video on how it takes forever to sink into the soil/ roots and dont want to have run off.This slope I have is probably the reason I have no phosphorus. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[@TheGrassFactor]

Randy Man aerate & apply

[@randyman8984]

I did a mechanical areation last sunday and the following tuesday I found bags of 0-45-0 and 0-0-60 for my p and k shortages. I put down two 50 lb bags of the 0-0-60 and one 50 lb bag of the 0-45-0 on 15,000 sq ft. Today I noticed I have a few burn lines where I overlapped with spreader. Can you still get burns with this type of fertlizer ? I was thinking since it doesn't have any N you could spread it like milogranite??

[@OldVoiceofToday]

What do you use for dallisgrass?

[@InDatParish]

OldVoiceofToday MSMA baby!

[@osands]

My problem is my grass wont grow over 1/4 to 1/2 inch in 70% of my yard(tifway 419 in NC). I dont have weeds and get regular organic fertilizer treatments but it just doesn't get the height to mow at the 1.75" height I have it at. recently got it aerated as well and that was 3 weeks ago. Hasnt done much of anything in terms of growth height. Our lawn guy doesn't believe in high nitrogen chemical expedient lawn care because he claims it messes up the ecosystem. I also have full sun so there is that. The 70% of the sod that doesn't grow was put in in nov 1st 2016(worst possible time) on garbage clay subsoil when house was done and the other 30% was done by myself in april and early june on compost tilled with clay. All that grass is doing great. My lawn guys next move is to lay down milorganite. Any ideas to help that height growth?

[@TheGrassFactor]

+Owen Sands I'll get alittle hippy dippy with organics, but when it comes to Bermuda, you have to steer it where you want it to go. If you push it, it performs like a procharged v8. If you're ginger with it, it'll perform gingerly.

[@osands]

haha so I guess hit it with the nitrogen eh? :)

[@TheGrassFactor]

Owen Sands you got it

[@osands]

The Grass Factor can you recommend a fert application for my situation? Like a product and ratio?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Owen Sands there's so many to choose from, but keep that first number over 25, the last two aren't as important. See if you can find one that's 30% slow release.

[@bighern1794]

I wish I could send you pictures of mine so you could tell me my issue

[@alnwick00]

Damn that music is annoying!

[@nathanmoses3237]

We live in the foothills of the blue ridge mountains and still recommend topdressing to our clients. The landscape grade most builders achieve is a joke. Our maintenance crews scalp down our summer turf each year in the early Spring and then raise the height slowly throughout the year and typically end at 3" by Fall to allow it to winterize well and appear full. Where possible, I like to push topdressing when I can because of the lack of awareness the general public has towards its benefits.

[@SOLDOZER]

Wrong.......wrong.......wrong.....

[@TheGrassFactor]

What's right?

[@travishernandez2193]

What kind of Bermuda grass is it?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Sunstar