[richardn]

First post here! I love working in my bermuda lawn, but I do have one trouble spot that I would like to bring back to life. It is in a shady, damp location so it will always be a battle, but I do not want to give up. A black fungus or mold has taken over one part of my yard. When it dries out, the top layer scales up a bit.

I recently applied Caravan G (azoxystrobin), but a very heavy rain following the application could have washed it away. I am including a link to a video so that you have a visual of the problem. I would appreciate all the help I can get in order to get the bermuda to spread back into this part of the lawn.

Video link:

 

[marshtj]

I checked out your video. My best guess is that you are not getting any or enough sun in that area. I don't think you are ever going to be able to get much to grow in that space. I lived in a similar house many years ago and in that space between house I installed a bed of crushed limestone (similar to what you see used on walkways).

 

[richardn]

Yes, agree with you there. But can anyone tell me what this black stuff is and how to kill it?

 

[Colonel K0rn]

Welcome to TLF @richardn. Glad to have you here.

As evidenced by the thin area around the tree in the front, you can see that your bermuda really requires a lot of sunlight to grow and it's struggling in any shaded areas. I know that's on the North side of your house, because my North side of my house looks exactly the same. It's obvious that your existing cultivar can't handle that amount of shade being cast between the houses. The only time that there was probably any bermuda growing there was when there was fresh laid sod when the house was built, or if there wasn't a house built next door. It might have hung on for a season, but has withered and died, and opportunistic weeds are growing where the native grass cannot.

One alternative is to see if you can get some TifTuf bermuda locally (SuperSod sells it) and plant that in the shaded area, if you wanted to stay with the same grass type. There are some test plots in Tifton and Perry, GA (my hometown) that have huge trees with shade on the lawn most of the day. The areas are just as green and thick as a full-sun property. I would love to have TifTuf in my lawn, but couldn't afford to throw that much down when I did my renovation.

Another option is to go with a shade-tolerant grass type, maybe TTTF, or St.Augustine, but I know that if you were to put some TTTF down, the cool-season police might come snatch it up. If that doesn't work, you might consider extending your flowerbed into a mulched area with some shade-tolerant plants like hostas.

As far as what the black slime was, I'm not too sure. Don't put down another fungicide, it's not needed to treat it, and it won't advance out into the sunlight. I pretty much grimace every time I pass by that side of my house, and have it down pretty low on the totem pole. I'm leaning more toward my last suggestion to you as to what I would do with my own property, since we're in similar situations.

 

[TC2]

Assuming you're talking about the black down the side of the house, I'm not convinced that's mold or fungus. Looks like organic matter ie algae that's died and dried or settled after rain but that could be because I'm on my phone.

 

[richardn]

I just wanted to come back and say thanks for all of your helpful comments. I now believe that the black stuff is algae and i'm considering my options. However, perhaps I do not tackle it until I understand what I want to do in those areas to maintain a long-term solution. Thank you for the suggestions on a bermuda type that can thrive in the shade as that is my desired outcome.