You might not be aware that there are about a dozen different kinds of grass. Some flourish in colder climates, while others, like Bermuda and St. Augustine, flourish in warmer ones.
Another intriguing detail is this: A beautiful lawn is made of Bermuda grass and St. Augustine grass. Few homeowners are aware of that technique, and those who are concerned about the implications of combining the two.
We’re here to ease your mind if you’re concerned about your grass. We will let you in on every aspect of these warm-weather grasses. We’ll also go through the best ways to take care of them, how to treat them, and how to grow them together.
St. Augustine Vs. Bermuda
Bermuda and St. Augustine are both warm-season turfgrasses that, given the right conditions, will grow quickly and fill in. They are special grasses, though, and require whole distinct management routines in order to grow a lush lawn.
St. Augustine Grass
This grass expands through above-ground stolons that dig themselves in the earth, making it a sod-forming turf. It may spread readily and heal itself fast as a result. If St. Augustine is properly cared for, these stolons make it an aggressive turf that may choke out weeds and other grasses.
The warm-season grass that considers shade the best is St. Augustine. It flourishes in the warm-season grass zone, which includes all of Florida, southern New Mexico, southern Arizona, most of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Can You Mix Bermuda Grass With St. Augustine?
Yes! You may combine the two varieties of grass to improve the success of your lawn. Considering that each type of grass has unique strengths and weaknesses, it only makes sense that you would want to know how to care for the grass and keep it healthy and growing.
A sod turf is called St. Augustine Grass. It disperses by stolons that grow above ground. To help it expand swiftly, the stolons multiply and burrow themselves in the soil. As a result, St. Augustine is sometimes characterized as aggressive because, with proper care, it can starve out weeds.
The grass that tolerates shade the best is St. Augustine. The warm-season grass zone is where St. Augustine flourishes. Southern New Mexico and Arizona, a sizable chunk of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida are all included in this zone.
Although it uses rhizomes and stolons to propagate, Bermuda also creates a turf. Rhizomes develop underground, whereas stolons cover up bare spots in the soil. Root systems are created by rhizomes. In most regions, Bermuda is a grass that is more aggressive than St. Augustine. Outdoor sports fields are more often utilized in Bermuda.
Bermuda requires extremely short mowing since it is not tolerant of shade. Bermuda’s growth spectrum is broader. Bermuda grows in the transition zone as well, making it considerably more adaptable to the American landscape than St. Augustine grass.
How To Tell If You Should Overseed Your St. Augustine With Bermuda
Determine the following first to evaluate if overseeding St. Augustine with Bermuda is a feasible option.
- Is invasive Bermuda already growing in your lawn?
- Does your lawn receive midday sun?
- Does a small area seeded with Bermuda grass perform well?
If the answer to one or more of these questions is yes, there is a strong probability that Bermuda grass will thrive in your lawn and may even organically smother weeds.
Due of the regional soil characteristics, many St. Augustine lawns in the southeast perform badly, whereas Bermuda naturally grows much more readily. Bermuda grass may be the solution if you’ve followed good St. Augustine grass care practices in your watering, fertilizing, and mowing routines but your lawn is still not doing well.
Signs of a Bermuda-Friendly Yard
Invasive Bermuda: A definite indicator that your yard is healthy If Bermuda Grass has already established itself, the area is Bermuda Lawn territory. Bermuda is viewed as an annoyance by many homes, but you could decide to like it.
A Bermuda is not a wise choice if large areas of your lawn are shaded for the most of the day. Your lawn is great Bermuda territory if it receives a lot of midday sun.
Bermuda Grows where St. Augustine has Failed: A 3-foot-square area of St. Augustine can be removed to test the soil or left barren. There, plant Bermuda grass, and water it as you would a freshly seeded lawn. Bermuda grass is probably a fantastic choice for your yard if it sprouts up and grows nicely.
How To Overseed St. Augustine With Bermuda
You can start overseeding if your lawn is already a haven for Bermuda grass, gets plenty of sunlight, and/or a test overseeding works well. Remember that scattering some seeds and hoping for the best won’t provide good results. St. Augustine that now exists will prevent Bermuda from growing. These procedures can be used to convert a St. Augustine lawn into a pure Bermuda grass lawn:
Remove The St. Augustine
Make use of a sod cutter to remove the existing St. Augustine sod. By simultaneously cutting the grass, thatch layer, and roots, this will prepare the ground for Bermuda overseeding.
St. Augustine grass may be destroyed with a glyphosate-based weed killer, but this method entails the use of chemicals and leaves you with the laborious task of removing all the dead grass afterward. On a soft substrate of decomposing St. Augustine, Bermuda grass will struggle to thrive. Using a sod cutter to cut all the grass can save you time and money.
Overseed With Bermuda
Cast your Bermuda grass seed in accordance with the volume recommendations on the container once the St. Augustine grass has been eliminated and the land has been prepped for overseeding. Then, water and tend to the new seed with diligence to ward off weeds in the future and encourage healthy development. Bermuda grass should be overseeded for the greatest results in late spring, giving it time to establish itself before the summer growth season.
Can You Overseed St. Augustine With Bermuda Without Killing St. Augustine First?
Some Bermuda grass could be able to establish itself among St. Augustine. However, it depends on the yard. When planting Bermuda amid existing St. Augustine, follow these steps for optimal results:
Scalp Your Lawn
Reduce the height of your St. Augustine to 0.5 inches. Scalping your grass increases the likelihood that Bermuda seedlings will receive enough sunshine. The current St. Augustine will prevent your Bermuda seed from germinating if you don’t first scalp your grass.
Overseed With Bermuda
Just like you would on a barren grass, scatter Bermuda seed over the scalped St. Augustine. Apply new Bermuda seed in the spring and maintain a watering, fertilizing, and maintenance schedule. The seedlings need all the assistance they can receive since they must contend with St. Augustine.
Continue To Mow Low
St. Augustine and Bermuda have various ways of growing despite the fact that they are both warm-season grasses. Bermuda is a low-growing grass species that should be mowed at 1.5 to 2 inches in height, whereas St. Augustine works best when mowed at 3-3.5 inches in height. Continue to mow your lawn at 1.5 inches while your Bermuda grows in to ensure that it receives enough sunshine.
Will Bermuda Grass Take Over St Augustine?
Bermuda grass may completely take over a St. Augustine yard, which is why it is regarded as an invasive grass variety in many places. This is because Bermuda grows through both invasive runners and rhizomes, which have broad root systems (stolons). St. Augustine, in contrast, exclusively spreads by above-ground stolons.
In the ideal situation, Bermuda will encourage Bermuda to expand and choke out the St. Augustine on a St. Augustine lawn that has been overseeded with Bermuda and mowed at 1.5 inches. Mow often to keep St. Augustine low to make sure of this. Additionally, through the hottest months of the summer, fertilizing Bermuda once a month is a smart idea to accelerate development.
It can be a difficult, time-consuming task to get Bermuda grass to take over St. Augustine. Remove any existing St. Augustine before overseeding with Bermuda for the greatest results.
Should You Overseed St. Augustine With Bermuda?
It might be tempting to overseed with Bermuda grass if your St. Augustine lawn is struggling or has brown patches or chinch bugs. Make sure Bermuda grows nicely on your lawn and that the lighting is ideal for Bermuda grass before doing so.
Your best option is to use a sod cutter to remove all existing St. Augustine grass before overseeding with Bermuda in order to transform a brown, struggling St. Augustine lawn into a green, flourishing Bermuda lawn.
You can also check out Auger Drill Bit for Planting.
Management Techniques For Unwanted Grasses
The fact that all grass will be killed by herbicides meant for grass makes maintaining a pure stand of turf one of the most challenging tasks. Spraying and eradicating the invading grasses will always result in the death of your lawn. This just causes bare areas of soil, which makes it easier for weed seeds to grow and exacerbates the problem.
Grass pulling does almost as much harm. Pulling off the roots and runners of grasses that sod merely promotes further growth. Small bits of roots left in the soil may grow several grasses, thus removing one plant may result in the creation of five more.
The only approach to successfully control invasive grasses is to modify your lawn’s management routine to promote the health of your own turf. This will consist of:
- Annual soil testing for pH and nutrient levels, with necessary amendments.
- assessing the soil’s texture and adding amendments if necessary.
- Making a watering schedule customized to a given grass.
- Cutting grass at the proper height.
- Mower blades should be sharpened at least once every season, or more frequently if feasible.
All grasses have certain upkeep needs in order to flourish, and a healthy yard can fend off invasive grasses with little help from you.
Final Thoughts
So what happens if Bermuda grass and St. Augustine are blended on your lawn? You receive a lush, healthy lawn that is covered in colorful greenery.
The demands and characteristics of any individual may vary. However, they combine nicely, so combining them can help keep your grass looking fantastic all year long.
Varinder Pal Singh
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