[Turftoe]

I've lurked for a while here and finally decided to create an account to get some advice.

My house was built last year and the bermuda sod was laid mid July last year. I have just recently taken a big interest in making my lawn look it's best. It looked great all last season, but this year it has been really lacking in the color department.

I mow once every week with my rotary push mower and I just ordered a manual reel mower for the fun of it. Are there any recommendations as to what I can do to make my lawn better?

Applied weed-b-gone spray in April and just put down 24-0-11 fertilizer (unfortunately right before a monsoon). Located in North ATL Ga

 

[Durso81]

Welcome

What height of cut are you trying to maintain? Depending on what height your trying to maintain you may have to mow more then once a week. Looks like to me it got tall and you scalped down and now your seeing the brown stems of the Bermuda.

If Bermuda gets too tall it gets leggy and kind of grows like a tree, has green on top with brown stems.

Hit with a 1lb of nitrogen every month. This time of year in ATL if your mowing only once a week and with all the rain we are having you will probably need to mow at 2.5-3". Which is not optimal height but can look decent and green.

If you want to maintain it at a lower height your going to have to mow more often.

 

[Turftoe]

Welcome

What height of cut are you trying to maintain? Depending on what height your trying to maintain you may have to mow more then once a week. Looks like to me it got tall and you scalped down and now your seeing the brown stems of the Bermuda.

If Bermuda gets too tall it gets leggy and kind of grows like a tree, has green on top with brown stems.

Hit with a 1lb of nitrogen every month. This time of year in ATL if your mowing only once a week and with all the rain we are having you will probably need to mow at 2.5-3". Which is not optimal height but can look decent and green.

If you want to maintain it at a lower height your going to have to mow more often.

Thanks for the response! I will start mowing more often to see if that helps.

My Home Depot just got Milorganite back in stock, should I put that down as well?

 

[Durso81]

You can it won't hurt the lawn. But you don't have to. If you haven't read the Bermuda Bible check it out.

Bermuda Bible: The New Testament
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1651
Also check out the Bermuda triangle for weed control.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=13

Also just a heads up. While that tree in your front yard is small you might want to get rid of it. As when it's gets bigger the Bermuda will not do good. I ended up having to change grass types in my front cause of a tree and shade.

 

[Tellycoleman]

Also just a heads up. While that tree in your front yard is small you might want to get rid of it. As when it's gets bigger the Bermuda will not do good. I ended up having to change grass types in my front cause of a tree and shade.

You better get rid of that tree while you can. Is it an oak? Do not pass go do not collect $200.
Trees and Bermuda don't mix . The bigger the tree gets the worse your grass will be.
Can you take a close up of your grass blades that appear brownish? All that rain you have been having and your tall height of cut can lead to fungus.

 

[Turftoe]

Also just a heads up. While that tree in your front yard is small you might want to get rid of it. As when it's gets bigger the Bermuda will not do good. I ended up having to change grass types in my front cause of a tree and shade.

You better get rid of that tree while you can. Is it an oak? Do not pass go do not collect $200.
Trees and Bermuda don't mix . The bigger the tree gets the worse your grass will be.
Can you take a close up of your grass blades that appear brownish? All that rain you have been having and your tall height of cut can lead to fungus.

I will start jumping through the HOA hoops now to remove the tree. Thanks to you and @Durso81 for the tip.

How should I plant grass after the tree is gone? Sod? New seed? I just want it to look the same once it grows in.

I will get some close up shots when I am home this afternoon, if there isn't a monsoon.

 

[Durso81]

Do not do seed. Couple options.

1. Fertilize water and mow it will eventually fill in.

2. Get a plugger tool pull plugs from your good areas and put them in were the tree was.

3. By sod. Find out what type of Bermuda the builder put in. Most likely tifway being your in ga.

Yeah I would present it to the HOA as when this tree gets bigger it will shade out the Bermuda and the Bermuda will die and then your yard will look like crap. Allot of people in my neighborhood are removing there trees as there lawns look like crap and the HOA is sending out notices.

 

[Turftoe]

Do not do seed. Couple options.

1. Fertilize water and mow it will eventually fill in.

2. Get a plugger tool pull plugs from your good areas and put them in were the tree was.

3. By sod. Find out what type of Bermuda the builder put in. Most likely tifway being your in ga.

Yeah I would present it to the HOA as when this tree gets bigger it will shade out the Bermuda and the Bermuda will die and then your yard will look like crap. Allot of people in my neighborhood are removing there trees as there lawns look like crap and the HOA is sending out notices.

I will weigh those options while I work to get it approved through the HOA(30 day process and have to get all neighbors to agree). I'm leaning more towards the first two options since I have such a difficult time getting sod leveled on this red GA clay.

 

[Jacob_S]

Unless HOA states there must be a tree you should be good to remove without approval in my mind.

 

[Turftoe]

Unless HOA states there must be a tree you should be good to remove without approval in my mind.

I agree, but I would rather follow their process no matter how pointless it is, than get a fine. I give them enough money as it is :lol:

 

[Jacob_S]

Haha, I can relate, I've gotten quite a few fines over the past couple years.

 

[Turftoe]

I guess I can get out there at midnight with a headlamp on... If they can't prove that I removed it, then I can't be fined. Right?

 

[Tellycoleman]

Well if "All of a sudden" ( wink wink) the tree happens to start looking sick and ugly. They would be glad you removed it.
Gosh Mr HOA man. I don't know what happened to my tree ( wink wink). Do you think I should just remove it?

 

[raldridge2315]

Well if "All of a sudden" ( wink wink) the tree happens to start looking sick and ugly. They would be glad you removed it.
Gosh Mr HOA man. I don't know what happened to my tree ( wink wink). Do you think I should just remove it?

:thumbup: Strangest thing.

Call Harvey Updyke for advice.

 

[Smokindog]

+1 on the Bermuda Bible
+1 on eliminating the tree

 

[dtillman5]

HOA's: The modern equivalent of a Third Reich training ground. In my neighborhood if someone wants to be on the HOA then they are the wrong person IMO. Can you tell I really don't like HOA's.. oh the stories I could tell...

 

[Colonel K0rn]

You wouldn't hurt it at all if you put down some higher N content fertilizer, with at least 0.75-1#N/M. It's regular practice for bermuda owners to use that much N per month on their lawns. What you have to keep in mind is that the condition of the turf is telling you exactly what is going on. Is it starved of nutrition? Are there insects? Too much water? It's a marathon, and not a sprint, but in this instance, it looks like you need to give your grass some more food.

Another thing is to check the condition of the grass blades, after you mow. How much leaf tissue do you see above the soil surface? Similar to what @Durso81 said, you might need to bring that total lawn surface down (scalp it) and let it grow back up to your maintenance HOC. What you're seeing is likely the stalks of the grass, as it's gotten pretty leggy, and you're cutting off the leaf tissue.

It's warm enough here that if you scalp it, it'll be recovered in a few weeks, and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Welcome to TLF, glad you found us! :thumbup:

 

[Turftoe]

Here are some close ups of the brown patches. You can even see some of the milo I put down if you look close

 

[Turftoe]

You wouldn't hurt it at all if you put down some higher N content fertilizer, with at least 0.75-1#N/M. It's regular practice for bermuda owners to use that much N per month on their lawns. What you have to keep in mind is that the condition of the turf is telling you exactly what is going on. Is it starved of nutrition? Are there insects? Too much water? It's a marathon, and not a sprint, but in this instance, it looks like you need to give your grass some more food.

Another thing is to check the condition of the grass blades, after you mow. How much leaf tissue do you see above the soil surface? Similar to what @Durso81 said, you might need to bring that total lawn surface down (scalp it) and let it grow back up to your maintenance HOC. What you're seeing is likely the stalks of the grass, as it's gotten pretty leggy, and you're cutting off the leaf tissue.

It's warm enough here that if you scalp it, it'll be recovered in a few weeks, and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Welcome to TLF, glad you found us! :thumbup:

Thanks for the advice! I put down a healthy dose of milo and I'm going to cut it low this afternoon

 

[kur1j]

@Turftoe

That to me looks like thatch and the bottom portion of the "crown" of bermuda where if it gets too long it will turn brown/dead. If the turf is established and you haven't, scalp really low to try and cut away as much of that dead/brown plant material as possible. That way when it grows back there will be more green.