Reel mowers allow you to get a close, clean cut for low-growing grasses. Annuals. Bermuda grass (Cynodon spp.) One of the most difficult parts of keeping a pure stand of turf is that herbicides formulated for grass will kill all grass. Unlike corporate website companies, the authors on this website regularly use many of the tips and recommendations provided in their own garden and lawncare. Looking for an alternative to St. Augustine? A pallet of sod costs $130 to $360 for bulk wholesale or $450 per pallet retail, which covers 450 square feet. Asked November 28, 2015, 4:07 PM EST. I have a 400 ft.² front yard that I plan on replacing the Bermuda grass with Saint Augustine this coming spring. Replacing St Augustine grass with Bermuda. Most people with St. Augustine yards have bits and pieces of Bermuda, but some are overwhelmed with it. St. Augustine has higher nitrogen requirements than zoysia, so it needs a fertile soil or consistent fertilizer applications. Goodbye, St. Augustine grass – hello deep fertility (and corn on the cob!). Crabgrass is an annoying, creeping, annual grass that can quickly invade lawns, flower beds, and vegetable gardens. Bermuda can be planted with seed (which is cheap) while St. Augustine must be sodded. The only full sun is from 3:00 to 7:00 every afternoon. Now, if you have a Bermuda grass lawn, but you live in a hot, humid area, you will likely have St. Augustine trying to creep in and take over. This adds nitrogen back into the ground, and it also helps to shade out the Bermuda grass. Is your lawn irrigated? It is expensive to establish St. Augustine because it can only be planted with sprigs, plugs, and sod. This technique only works in the more hot, humid parts of the warm-season grass zone. They are perfect for our beach climate and location in Northeast Florida. In your situation, it is recommended to spot treat the Bermuda with Round Up and kill it directly, and then replant St. Augustine … Finally… As grass goes, St. Augustine really isn’t the worst. Saint Augustine has a much higher thatch level than the old Bermudagrass does, so this had to be taken into account at the time of laying the new sod. However, there are some climates where Bermuda is planted on purpose in order to make way for St. Augustine. Home » Lawn Care » Bermudagrass » Grass – Replacing Bermuda. I was planing on replacing my back yard with Empire Zoysia. But that’s usually just for extreme cases where the Bermuda is absolutely solid. How to Replace a Bermuda Grass Lawn With Fescue Lawn Sod. Many grasses will sprout from small pieces of roots left in the soil, meaning each time you pull one plant, you may be creating five. The following was written by my friend Randy Lemmon of radio station KPRC 950 AM in Houston. With Palisades Zoysia and the St. Augustine grasses, you will end up pulling those grasses out of your flower beds because they are so aggressive and they do spread so rapidly. Mow your lawn at 4” twice per week with a sharp blade. If you live in the subtropical/tropical area of the United States, you will likely want a St. Augustine lawn while keeping the Bermuda grass at bay. Great show called GardenLine. If you live in a region where St. Augustine is especially happy, you may be able to use Bermuda to your advantage. Use the instructions on the seed bag to determine how much seed to use when overseeding St. Augustine grass… It's only when the St. Augustine thins out and struggles that it shows up. How To Remove A St Augustine Grass Lawn. Its broad leaf blades shade Bermuda grass when competing for the same space. In Texas, the vast majority of the lawns are of the St. Augustine variety. If you’re planning on establishing a St. Augustine lawn, but have had issues with Bermuda in the past, you may be in for a challenge. Whatever the reason, once the decision has been made to remove an old St Augustine lawn, the next question arises how to do this quickly and effectively. St. Augustine Grass vs. Bermuda: A Texas Dilemma. I'm planning to replace it with Bermuda grass. However, under nourished St. Augustine is more susceptible to damage by insects and disease and when those problems exist St. Augustine can go into decline allowing for encroachment of weeds. Most people with St. Augustine yards have bits and pieces of Bermuda, but some are overwhelmed with it. But, it is possible to establish St. Augustine in spite of its aggressive counterpart. It would kill St. Augustine without harming bermuda. It just takes too much maintenance and fertilizer to keep it looking healthy and lush in our sandy soils to be a good lawn grass. Bermudagrass is such an aggressive grass that if any of it remains it will out-compete the St. Augustinegrass plugs. There are some Bermuda-based lawns, however, along with some of Zoysia, and very few (if any) Centipede. *For high-traffic areas, try installing a patio or placing a lawn mat on the ground to prevent weeds and other grasses from taking hold. Either one of these plans can work if all of the steps are followed, but missing a step assures failure when it comes to Bermuda grass. Getting Rid Of Your Grass. Great show called GardenLine. While I have had good success with the St. Augustine that is down now, my 4 dogs tear it up with the running and training I do with them. In fact, I find that they vary in just about every area of consideration, even if just slightly. (Bermuda prefers to be mowed low, so this will help the St. Augustine grass) Regular mowing, fertilizing, and supplemental watering keeps sod dense, green, and weed-free. We then work through the soil with rakes to remove as much of the old St Augustine root system as possible, while leaving … Sod in Florida is able to … It grows in the warm-season grass zone, which covers southern New Mexico and Arizona, most of Texas, Louisianna, Mississippi, Alabama, southern Georgia and South Carolina, and all of Florida. Question by treyday March 7, 2010. It sounds like it needs less water and is more attractive. Patrick Dickinson, the Urban Water Program Coordinator at Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, suggests St. Augustine will lose this category of the turf wars, because it greedily slurps up twice the amount of water as Bermuda grass. Bermuda is a lot easier to get control of. Pulling grass is almost as damaging. This growth pattern makes Bermuda a more aggressive sod grass than St. Augustine in most climates, which is why it is commonly used in sports applications. I live just north of Dallas TX. Amazon has put together some great Home Holiday Guide Deals - save money and get your holiday shopping done! For sod-forming grasses, pulling up roots and runners only encourages new growth. Question by Kelvestto April 10, 2007. Here are the two options when it comes to resolving the Wild Bermuda grass issue.. Thriving Yard is a privately owned website. Yes, like the antique style lawn mower. Post by racng69 » Sat Mar 28, 2020 6:26 pm. St. Augustine grass is one of the most popular grasses along the Gulf Coast, known for its rich blue-green grass blades and high tolerance to heat, humidity, and salt. Is it good to book a water villa with pool which is provided by the One&Only Reethi Rah resort? This can be difficult since Bermuda is more aggressive and cold-hardy, and cannot be sprayed without damaging the turf you wish to keep. The obvious answer to removing Bermuda is to kill it, till it and replace it with new sod. When it left the market, however, we were left with no selective herbicide that would do the same job. Replacing St. Augustine with Bermuda grass - Knowledgebase Question. If you haven't done so already, get your FREE 2020 Pre-Emergent Guide at https://thelawncarenut.com/pages/free-lawn-care-guidesPlug Day. My Father a couple of years ago replaced bermuda with St. Augustine. Don’t bag your grass clippings. Unfortunately, Bermuda grass is so closely related to St. Augustine grass that there is nothing that will remove Bermuda from St. Augustine and not hurt the Bermuda as well. When I first purchased my home there was bermuda in the front yard that was very sparse. Mow the lawn on your mower's highest setting. This is especially true for areas of your lawn that are shaded. … Ridding St. Augustine of Bermudagrass. We would recommend starting with a couple non-selective herbicide applications that will kill the Bermuda grass throughout your yard. Bermuda: $130 commercial, $150 residential, $175 high-end residential St. Augustine: $167 commercial - $195 residential Zoysia: $235 commercial, $275 residential The Austin Water Utility is offering to pay city residents to let their St. Augustine grass die and replace it with more drought-hearty varieties. You may have to spot-treat with a glyphosate herbicide to kill the St. Augustine, even though it will also kill the bermuda that it hits. The following was written by my friend Randy Lemmon of radio station KPRC 950 AM in Houston. Treat the Bermuda around the zoysia as it it were a weed and pull it out from the roots when you see any threat of competition for soil space, water and nutrients. St. Augustine: A very popular option in Southern States. … I would put Bermuda down, but that is … We have full sun but with the lack of water here our lawn looks good for … St. Augustine will just die and need replacing. Using Bermuda Grass To Establish a St. Augustine Lawn. It is expensive to establish St. Augustine because it can only be planted with sprigs, plugs, and sod. And do it twice or even three times. This only leaves bare patches of soil, which is prime real estate for weed seeds to germinate, compounding the issue. Will it eventually overtake all of the St. Augustine? St. Augustine. Throughout this column, it has been stated over and over NOT to over seed St. Augustine- but what about interseeding of Pantera rye with St. Augustine. However, you can plant Bermuda with seed, and establish a green lawn fairly quickly due to its aggressive nature. Dogs can’t touch it. I thought that the logical thing to do would be to replace the bermuda with St. Augustine. The easiest way to do this would be to go through the soil with a rotary hoe, really churning up the soil and old roots as much as possible. Least Invasive Option - The key for this is to keep the St. Augustine turf healthy enough to keep the Bermuda at bay. This will help prevent thatch buildup which can shade out and kill Bermuda. We can help with our sod removal and replacement services featuring Bermuda, St. Augustine and Zoysia "Texas-friendly" grasses. Don’t worry about weeds, Bermuda will choke its own. Primarily in our area, Bermuda is used for golf courses and football fields. The term over seeding means to create a thick turf of rye on top of an established bermuda or zoysia turf. Lush, colorful flower beds increase curb appeal while attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. She has an A.A.S. The grass dies, and weeds take over. Contact: (352) 378-5296 | Info@TheMastersLawnCare.com | Privacy Policy. Both Bermuda and St. Augustine grass thrive well in warm climates, but even in this factor the two do vary a bit. The obvious answer to removing Bermuda is to kill it, till it and replace it with new sod. *Pre-Emergents lay a protective barrier down on the soil that won't allow seeds to germinate, restricting Bermudas ability to spread. The first step in transforming your yard is to remove the grass, but don’t get out the shovels just yet. Unfortunately, even sodding it will not guarantee the bermudagrass will not come back at least a little bit. Different climates and local landscape conditions often favor one type of lawn over another. If you live in a region where St. Augustine is especially happy, you may be able to use Bermuda to your advantage. Is there a downside to Bermuda? Zoysia is a tough grass that requires a clean cut to look good. Quite a bit of soil was removed from the lawn site so as to lower the Saint Augustine sod lower below the paving than the old turf was. Active in the summer, dormant in the winter, it still looks tidy even when a little bit brown. 10% off all online orders of sod grass. Can you recommend which grass is considered the best? Spray the existing St. Augustine with glyphosate (Roundup is one brand) and then wait for a week for it to completely kill the turf and any weeds. St. Augustine grass makes a beautiful lawn, but over time it can become sparse and thin in appearance. Centipede grass works for many lawns in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 to 10, because of its relative ease of care. I encourage homeowners to keep their lawn healthy and a little Bermuda grass will not be an issue. Both St. Augustine and Bermuda are warm-season turfgrasses that will grow vigorously and fill in quickly under the right circumstances. These stolons make St. Augustine an aggressive turf that is able to choke out weeds and other grasses if it is maintained properly. Examples provided of tested products are actual products owned, tested, and used regularly by the author. Water then seed in well and keep the soil moist until the … The easiest way to encourage St. Augustine is to keep the mower set high. Grass – Replacing Bermuda. St. Augustine also requires good drainage, which means a silty or sandy soil and higher amounts of organic matter. Let’s start off with the most important element for plant life: water. Is there a downside to Bermuda? All he did was cut the bermuda as low as he could with a mower and leveled it out with some white sand and threw the St. Augustine over that. St. Augustine can’t survive short mower heights (source). Zoysia generally requires 10 fewer mowings per growing season than the average Bermuda grass lawn. Zombie Bermuda. I have huge maple trees in my front yard that produce a lot of shade. It depends on your climate, soil, and maintenance practices. Are you frustrated with Bermuda taking over your lush St. Augustine lawn? The easiest way to kill your grass is to wrap your lawn in black plastic, so use garbage bags weighed down with rocks for a cheap solution. When the mower is set this low, the fittings that hold the blade in place will dig into the ground, and you will scalp your lawn. Bermuda Varieties Bermuda is a fine blade grass that is drought tolerant and does well in full sun and high traffic areas. RELATED QUESTIONS. It is in the grass family, so any herbicide that kills it will also kill St. Augustine grass - which is why it creates such a hassle for Gainesville lawns. It looks like there was never St. Augustine there. Q: We are investigating the replacement of our bermuda grass with zoysia or a more shade-tolerant bermuda. Next, you would sod-cut and till the lawn to assure you remove all of the roots. Ridding St. Augustine of Bermuda Grass. Lawn Insect Control such as chinch bugs and webworms. Increased irrigation times to keep the St. Augustine healthy enough to hold it's space against the invasive Bermuda grass. Right now his St. Augustine is as thick as can be, but you can still see some bermuda peeking threw. Once the St Augustine is dead, then start watering once per week, mowing twice per week, and fertilizing with high nitrogen synthetic once per month. St Augustine is the dominant species between the two. This allows it to spread quickly and repair itself easily. Roughly 5-6K sq ft and mainly full sun. In these climates, St. Augustine will easily choke out Bermuda and establish a full, thick turf. You may have to sod any areas that are completely riddled with Bermuda to get a good start. It really is one of the most difficult to control weeds in turf. If you don’t look after your St. Augustine grass lawn properly, it may turn brown, patchy, and thin. 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