# New guy here. Help me bring my Bermuda up to par!



## Dsking85 (Oct 4, 2021)

Hey all, I'm a new member due to the fact that this is the first lawn I've owned that required any maintenance. It's Bermuda that was sodded about 3 months ago. I'm pretty sure that the landscapers that the builders hired did a pretty bad job laying it and there probably wasn't much prep work. My backyard looks decent but I think that's due to the grading that had to be done.

My front yard will not green up. I initially thought it was due to being new sod, but my neighbors yard that was sodded a couple weeks before mine looks noticeably healthier.

Basically, I'm trying to find out what I'm doing wrong, and then the steps I should take to remedy. I feel like I water it a good amount as my water bill will attest. Some spots are greener than others, and some look downright yellow. If you get close to the yellow areas, there is some green in there but it's being overshadowed by the not-so-green. I am in NC and the front yard gets pretty much full sunlight. I laid down some 16-4-8 a few weeks ago but there was some very heavy rain right after. Please help a new guy out! I've heard "just give it the water and nutrients it needs" but that's so open ended it almost makes it more difficult for me. My thumb is nowhere near green! I'm attaching some pictures.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Could be a couple things:

How much water are you putting down?

At 3 months you should have it all tacked down with roots, so you won't need as much water.

Did you apply a fungicide at all? With all that watering, and late summer, you could probably have some fungus issues going on, hence the yellowing the leaf material.

Also- has it looked like that for a while just recently ?

What are you nighttime temps? Could be trying to go dormant if you've been getting cold at night.


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## Dsking85 (Oct 4, 2021)

Thanks for the reply! I water it a couple times a week, but haven't measured the exact amount. I have pulled back a bit more from the watering as it didn't do much for the color or look of the grass. I've taken a soil moisture probe and it says it's wet. I have not applied any fungicide.

It greened up a bit more at first then it started to go yellow. It's never looked great though.

Temps are still around 70 at night here.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

How often do you cut ?

Are the green areas some of the lower spots in the yard?


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## Dsking85 (Oct 4, 2021)

Yep the green areas seem to be a bit lower. I don't cut it much at all. It doesn't grow enough to need to be cut. As of the picture it hasn't been cut in a couple weeks.


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## Dsking85 (Oct 4, 2021)

Here's possibly a better picture. Yanked this from one of the yellower spots. Fungus?


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

So never seen a herbicide (weed killer) or pre-emergent?

Youre right, something is amiss. What kind of tree did they curse you with?


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## Dsking85 (Oct 4, 2021)

jayhawk said:


> So never seen a herbicide (weed killer) or pre-emergent?
> 
> Youre right, something is amiss. What kind of tree did they curse you with?


Nope, nothing like that used. It's just some crappy maple. Builder grade lawn apparently.


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## Txag12 (Apr 22, 2018)

I would start by getting a soil test and aiming to get something between the seams as this will tell you what your roots are getting into. I'm not sure what building is like in NC but if it's anything like it is here you probably have sod on top of nutrient deficient clay or something similar. I would focus on adding organic matter in the form of organic fert and back off the synthetic until next spring when you can really push the turf grass.

You mention your overnights being in the 70s but what are the highs? Are you getting close to 90 or only mid to low 80s?


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## Dsking85 (Oct 4, 2021)

Txag12 said:


> I would start by getting a soil test and aiming to get something between the seams as this will tell you what your roots are getting into. I'm not sure what building is like in NC but if it's anything like it is here you probably have sod on top of nutrient deficient clay or something similar. I would focus on adding organic matter in the form of organic fert and back off the synthetic until next spring when you can really push the turf grass.
> 
> You mention your overnights being in the 70s but what are the highs? Are you getting close to 90 or only mid to low 80s?


Thank you that is helpful. Yep, definitely clay around these parts. That may explain the diff between the front and back. They brought in fill dirt to grade the back.

It's been hitting 90 during the day up until very recently. Probably still getting close.

For the organic fert, do you have anything specific you would recommend? Like compost or actual manure products?


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## Bombers (Jul 14, 2020)

topdressing with compost during spring green up would be the best way to alter your soil profile. Don't bother with the bag stuff either with 12k of lawn. Bite the cost and get it delivered with a dump truck or trailer.


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## Dsking85 (Oct 4, 2021)

Bombers said:


> topdressing with compost during spring green up would be the best way to alter your soil profile. Don't bother with the bag stuff either with 12k of lawn. Bite the cost and get it delivered with a dump truck or trailer.


Thanks! So is there anything that I could/should do now at the beginning of October? I want to make sure the grass is as healthy as possible going into winter. Was thinking about throwing down a layer of compost or manure compost now and top dressing it just to give it some of the nutrients it seems to be lacking. Great info here btw. One of the main reasons I was so excited to move into a new community with smaller yards was to have a nice looking lawn. Can't wait to get this one worked out and learn the ins and outs!


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## Bombers (Jul 14, 2020)

Dsking85 said:


> Bombers said:
> 
> 
> > topdressing with compost during spring green up would be the best way to alter your soil profile. Don't bother with the bag stuff either with 12k of lawn. Bite the cost and get it delivered with a dump truck or trailer.
> ...


Not sure on your weather pattern, but compost takes longer to break down and it needs heat/high temp for microbes to be active. If you have another month of 80s left, it wouldn't hurt to topdress. I would put down a "winterizer" fertilizer that is high in K (this particular product is 32-0-10, but anything high in the last digit is good as a winter fert) so your grass can have a healthy spring-up next year.


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## Dsking85 (Oct 4, 2021)

Bombers said:


> Dsking85 said:
> 
> 
> > Bombers said:
> ...


Ah ok, sadly it won't be in the 80s for too much longer. Maybe I should just leave it alone into winter and pick up next year


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Seasons over ...no more nitrogen, or talk of top dressing. Growth, vigor is falling off a cliff now...

Soil test...to check ph, etc

You said you mow infrequently....what, every couple weeks? Not helpful curb appeal for Bermuda if so. You need to cut weekly, perhaps more depending on your height of cut, water, etc.

Maybe that pic is after a cut....not the best from a timing perspective.

Btw 'adding organic matter in the form of organic fert' ....is like throwing a beer can in the ocean.


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