Spring Transition

When spring comes it is time to wake up the dormant bermuda. Overseeded bermuda lawns need proper management and nurturing throughout the spring transition to help the bermuda sucessfully complete with the ryegrass until the rye is gone.

IMPORTANT! FOLLOW THESE STEPS FOR A BEAUTIFUL, LUSH LAWN:

1. MOWING:

   Proper mowing controls the aggressive growth of the ryegrass. Without proper mowing the bermudagrass will not receive enough sunlight for new growth.

   • Starting in March, when nighttime temperature are above 60F for a least 5 days in a row, mow progressively lower to 1/2 inch with a reel mower and 3/4 inch with a rotary mower.
   • By March 31st, the mowingheight should be 3/4 inch or lower. Throughout April and May maintain mowing height at 1/2 inch with a reel mower and 3/4 inch with rotary mower until the ryegrass dies. Mowing higher can cause a complete loss of the bermudagrass

2. WATERING SCHEDULE:

   Deep water(the water should penetrate 8 to 10 inches) every 3 to 5 days during March and April. When daytime temperatures are above 90F, deep water every 2 to 3 days

   • DO NOT try to "kill off" the ryegrass by with holding water or verticutting. This may achieve only a partial kill-off of the rye while damaging the underlying bermuda

3. FERTILIZING:

   Once a month use a balanced fertilizer that is specific for low desert soil. A balanced fertilizer contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

   It is very important to follow the above transition procedsure or the bermudagrass may DIE. Because the bermudagrass has been dormant, it roots very slowly and it has only a limited amount of stored carbohydrates which are quickly depleted in the spring as the bermuda begins to initiate new growth. However, the perennial ryegrass used for overseeding grows aggressively, particularly in the spring. The bermuda must be able to get its share of sunlight, nutrients, and water in order to compete with the ryegrass and maintain healthy growth.