Being a warm climate lawn grass, Bermuda grass still needs maintenance during summer temperature variations. Bermuda grass can't tolerate longer drought or overmoisture to grow healthy.
When you recover your Bermuda grass in the recent spring(recovering from dormancy), it faces a temperature increase from 30F to 80F till the end of spring. You need special maintenance of Bermuda grass to keep it healthier and stay green for longer in the following summer.
You don't need to worry about it too much as I'm with you to guide you in this.
Easy DIY Summer maintenance of Bermuda grass
DIY methods are pretty easier to maintain Bermuda grass as you just have the common basic practice of using a mower, irrigation, and Bermuda height maintenance in summer.
Let's see the dynamics in the Bermuda grass behavior from spring to summer in brief and then I'll guide you to maintain it further.
Condition of Bermuda grass after spring
I hope you've recovered your Bermuda grass well in the Spring season from its dormancy or at least your grass established its roots once again. If not, then you should do that as quickly as possible otherwise practicing it in the summer season may be too late for this.
In many cases, Bermuda grass starts to get its growth from the last weeks of spring and get a peak in the summer.
Though some dead spots, patches, and some roughness in its leaves still be there they become healthier with time.
I'm dealing with Bermuda grass in many lawns for the past couple of years and in my experience, I've found that too much care of Bermuda grass makes it sensitive. It means if you use too many fertilizers or growth boosters, weed killers, and pesticides, then Bermuda grass can't get its peak growth in time.
Some people do common mistakes in that they mix the hybrid and ultra-invasive seeds while overseeding the Bermuda grass lawn which is not good for it at all.
So if you keep things simple and encourage the grass naturally in spring, you'll have at least Bermuda with stronger roots. In summer, Bermuda establishes its growth once again and continues to grow further till the early winter.
What to expect in summer?
In summer, the temperature starts to rise at more rate than it increases from winter to spring. It means Bermuda grass is going to see roughness with air, moisture, and soil conditions.
In summer, many lawns get Brown Bermuda grass which is a lack of moisture in the soil or overwatering in the soil. Though overwatering gives it a yellowish texture and color which is a sign that it is not in good healthy condition.
Using a growth booster may increase the extra stress on the Bermuda grass in summer with the heat and sunlight combination. Mostly in summer, Bermuda grass needs sunlight and watering in a certain ratio. Its roots need enough sunlight to keep it healthier and for peak growth which is why mowing on time and watering is very important.
We can say summer is a very specific time for Bermuda grass because it gets its peak in it and grows green naturally.
Tips to maintain Bermuda grass in summer
Here, I'm sharing some DIY tips for your Bermuda grass so that you can keep it healthier and green for longer in summer and save it from getting brown and drought-
- Regular irrigation with sprinklers
Regular irrigation in summer is the key to keeping Bermuda grass healthy. Neither over moisture nor less moisture otherwise either it'll become yellowish or brownish-dry with time.
Once or twice a week, watering is good for Bermuda grass. You should start irrigating your Bermuda in the morning and increase the timings if the humidity gets very low. You can increase watering if the soil is getting dry too fast and humidity is very very less.
You can better use sprinklers for precise irrigation and even watering every section of Bermuda grass lawn.
- Mowing 1 to 1.5 inches every week
Mowing Bermuda grass provides its lower sections enough sunlight so that it can focus on more development and get roots stronger in summer.
You can use ride-on mowers for bigger lawns or pushing mowers for average or smaller lawns. The fun part for you is it is quite a physical workout if you use a pushing mower and collect the grass cuttings manually.
Set the dial at 1 to 1.5 inches in the mower and start mowing the Bermuda grass every week. Don't skip mowing every week otherwise, it can be bad for your Bermuda growth. Also, if you never used the mowers, you should ask for help to set the dial and walking or running speed while mowing. Believe me, it's not a big task and you can learn it easily in half an hour.
- Don't block or filter sunlight
Direct sunlight is good for Bermuda grass until and unless you keep irrigation and mowing regular. Blocking or filtering the sunlight may impact the Bermuda grass badly and it can encourage moss and algae in the upcoming rainy season in your lawn.
- Check the soil compactness
If the soil is still compacted after spring, you need to make it loose and release the stress of it. In compacted soil, grassroots start getting shorter and become a major cause of dead grass. So don't ignore the soil health and checkup so that you can confirm its conditions and focus on the grass health.
You can check it easily by using water on the direct soil. If soil is not absorbing it then it may be a sign of compacted soil. You can confirm it after picking up a piece of lawn turf, if the roots are getting shorter than an inch, then your soil is compacted.
- Feed your lawn once in the summer
Your Bermuda grass lawn needs feed in the mid to late summer to get its peak growth. For that, you can use any trustable and good lawn grass feed and use it once during this period.
Don't overfeed your Bermuda grass or it'll create unnecessary heat in the soil and the ultimate results are bad of this.
So keep things simple and I wish you'll have a Green lush Bermuda grass lawn in the summer season.
DIY Vs pro lawn service for Bermuda grass
I know many of you are concerned about the decision of choosing professional lawn care for Bermuda grass or doing it yourself. Don't worry, let's make things easier for you-
- Professional lawn care services are costlier, less responsible, and very specific with the grass. They only focus on what grass needs at that time instead of the long-term requirements of grass. There are very less companies who treat your Bermuda grass for the long term. On the other hand, DIY lawn care gives you the satisfaction of working on the basics, saving your money, and giving you results according to your work.
- Professional lawn care companies save you precious time if you're in a busy schedule and can't handle the extra load of treating your Bermuda lawn regularly. DIY lawn treatment needs your time and energy which is not suitable if you are working outside and only present in the house in the evening.
- Professional lawn care companies handle your lawn with several tests which is not possible in DIY techniques till you are not so aware and expert.