# Bermuda in shade



## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Okay I figured I'd start this thread for those with shade issues wanting to plant Bermuda. 
Feel free to post pics, type of Bermuda, height of cut, and amount of sun that the area is receiving.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Here's mine. 
Celebration Bermuda. 
This area gets DIRECT sun from 1-6pm and that is all. No filtered sun. With all the aerating and verticutting I've done this season, I have decided to leave this area alone. I just mow it. 
HOC .42"

Notice that I get 5 hours of continuous sunlight, not indirect, but continuous. I think that is very important and why my bermuda is doing so well.

This area faces south which allows it to get full sun even throughout the winter. I also live in a tropical climate and only see about one hard freeze a winter and a few 30-32degree nights.

I think Bermuda is better off with 5 hours of continuous sun vs a full day with only 2-3 full sun and the rest with filtered sun.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Great thread. Thanks! Bring on the DLI meters! :thumbup:


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

mrigney said:


> Not trying to highjack the original comparison of this thread, but really interested in those pictures, lrias. I have some areas that I'm considering plugging/sprigging with Celebration next year. About 2k is full sun, then there's another area that is partial...probably full sun until noon, then filtered sun through the afternoon. Was worried about how it would do (although anything is better than the bare ground and weeds that are there right now), but this gives me some hope.


How many hours of continuous full sun? Not including filtered. 
HOC?

This area I leveled about 6 weeks ago. Receives around 3 hours of full sun and then filtered sun. Last year it did great mowed at 2". I'm maintaining it at .5inches (thanks to my Maruyama blade). I will post current pics when I get home this evening.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Ware said:


> Great thread. Thanks! Bring on the DLI meters! :thumbup:


Haha I need to get me one!


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Almost all filled in!



























Spreading pretty well


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

I love it!


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## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

This is great!



> How many hours of continuous full sun? Not including filtered.
> HOC?


That's a good question. I haven't sprigged the area I"m talking about yet...was going to let my sod establish (and let myself rest a little) before I undertake another big project. I'll have to do a little observing this weekend to see how many hours it's in direct sun. I'd guess > 3 hr, < 6. This time of year, probably something like 8am - 12/1 pm. But I'll check and report back here.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Entire beauty strip tifgrand. Looking south from pic 1....sun shows up in afternoon. Looks best trained as low as trucut can go. 





Second and 3rd image transitions to new tifftuf (3 weeks ago where it's taller)


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

jayhawk said:


> Entire beauty strip tifgrand. Looking south from pic 1....sun shows up in afternoon. Looks best trained as low as trucut can go.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow that looks great! Awesome color!


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Corner on upper right of pic Only gets direct sunlight from 2pm-630pm
1"-2" tall










This area gets 3-4 hours of direct sun plus morning filtered sunlight.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Ware said:


> Great thread. Thanks! Bring on the DLI meters! :thumbup:


This.

I would suggest anyone questioning whether they have enough light to purchase a DLI meter and make sure you have enough light in before pulling the trigger on planting/purchasing expensive grass.

It's really challenging to measure shade just based on amount of hours of sunlight. Just think of the difference between pine tree shade versus magnolia tree shade; at noon, the pine lets through filtered light and the magnolia practically blocks everything.

I had researched this a fair amount before pulling the trigger on the TifTuf cultivar.

Quantifying Light Requirements of Turfgrass Using Daily Light Integral

The link above has the DLI requirement for several Bermuda cultivars. I had reached out to a professor at Univ of GA in their turfgrass program who is familiar with TifTuf regarding it's DLI requirement. The response I received is quoted below.

"DLI question: I'll say shade is complicated and different at all locations. In the research we've done here in Tifton, DLI in the full sun in the middle of the summer was ~51. In areas under pine trees with very nice TifTuf, the DLI was still 25. In this same environment, other bermudagrasses were not acceptable looking. In areas under dense Dogwood shade, the DLI was ~13. The TifTuf was acceptable looking, but not great. Neither centipedegrass or other bermudagrasses would grow in the areas with a DLI of 13."

Furthermore, my understanding is that using a plant growth regulator can help grow in areas where you may not have the ideal amount of light.


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## ahartzell (May 18, 2017)

Reviving this thread...I'm having issues right next to fence. It seems to ALWAYS be in shade. For that reason it seems to have only weeds, moss, and about 3 blades of Bermuda no matter what. Any suggestions? I don't necessarily want to turn it into flowerbeds...could seed with other grass type but I don't want to be able to see a definite line where one grass stops and another starts


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## gatormac2112 (Sep 14, 2017)

ahartzell said:


> Reviving this thread...I'm having issues right next to fence. It seems to ALWAYS be in shade. For that reason it seems to have only weeds, moss, and about 3 blades of Bermuda no matter what. Any suggestions? I don't necessarily want to turn it into flowerbeds...could seed with other grass type but I don't want to be able to see a definite line where one grass stops and another starts


Take down the privacy fence and install metal fencing?


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## ahartzell (May 18, 2017)

gatormac2112 said:


> ahartzell said:
> 
> 
> > Reviving this thread...I'm having issues right next to fence. It seems to ALWAYS be in shade. For that reason it seems to have only weeds, moss, and about 3 blades of Bermuda no matter what. Any suggestions? I don't necessarily want to turn it into flowerbeds...could seed with other grass type but I don't want to be able to see a definite line where one grass stops and another starts
> ...


That's a definite no go: HOA requires privacy (specific type too), I like privacy...etc

Next house will have thorough yard inspection for problem spots and will test to make sure sun is at my back for optimal stripe viewing :lol:


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Perfect spot for shrubs.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

g-man said:


> Perfect spot for shrubs.


+1 Like Ware's yard.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Have you tried using suncalc.org to see what kind of light it's going to get as the length of the days and position of sun changes?

I am a fan of the DLI meter. If you are in a range where Bermuda is an option, tiftuf, tifgrand, or celebration seem to have lower light requirements.

With that being said, as others have noted, might be a good spot to plant something that requires less light, such as shrubs.


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