# Central Florida Bermuda Lawns



## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Looking for some assistance from anyone in the Florida area that has Bermuda for a lawn. I know I'm in the minority, since St. Aug is the primary grass. I've got some weed issues I'm trying to control. I recently used pgr, but over did it on the amount, so the grass is in recovery mode. I've attached some pics. I hit it with iron and fertilizer, and it's coming back slowly.


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

Hold off on the mowing until the signs of stress disappear. Dismiss, quinclorac, 3 way for your herbicide arsenal.

Any clue which type of bermuda? What was your pgr rate?


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Celebration Bermuda. I went .15 on the pgr, but I think I miscalculated on my math with the new backpack sprayer. I didn't do a test section to see what 4 gallons of water would cover.


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## dre white (May 6, 2019)

PGR might work better than glyphosate at killing Bermuda.


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## FlaDave (Jul 10, 2018)

.15oz of pgr doesn't sound bad. How much pgr did you put into the 4gal water? How far across your 6000 sqft lawn did you spray it? Did you do put anything else within a 2 week timeframe of the pgr app?


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

For each 4 gallons I put .15 in, but I think I went heavier per sq ft than I should. It was probably operator error as well as my math.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

This stuff has seemed to pop out overnight.


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

bbbdkc79 said:


> This stuff has seemed to pop out overnight.


spotted spurge


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## tblood (Aug 7, 2018)

Spurge is easy to kill. Let your grass recover and hit it wit almost anything rated for your current temps.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Appreciate the inputs. Grass is recovering nicely.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Thanks to those who gave me input. Yard is looking good.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

bbbdkc79 said:


> Thanks to those who gave me input. Yard is looking good.


That is looking great. There are so many smart people on this forum that someone would have to deliberately screw up to not improve their lawn. Keep us updated on the lawn.
By the way, where are you in Broward? I spent about 7 years of my childhood in Melbourne just off Eau Gallie Blvd.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Then I know you know where Suntree is. Thanks for the kudos.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Need some opinions/suggestions on how to get rid of moles. I'm trying castor oil pellets, as well as the spikes.


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## FlaDave (Jul 10, 2018)

Some good info on traps in this thread. https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=52


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Thanks for the link. Now I know why these folks down here don't have short grass. They wouldn't know if they had moles.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

bbbdkc79 said:


> Then I know you know where Suntree is. Thanks for the kudos.


Sorry. I just saw your reply. I was young when we lived there and only really remember the biscuits and gravy at the Gallie Ho Restaurant. It's been decades since I've been back. I hear it's changed a lot since the mid-80s.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

So the lawn is doing real well, except for some spots of crabgrass. What's everyone's opinion on what to use, and is it too warm now to put it down here in Melbourne FL?


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## ktgrok (May 25, 2019)

Well, if it is just spots. I'd dig it up. It's not hard if you use a screwdriver or weed tool to get underneath the center and pry it up. 
Otherwise, Celsius works on some kinds at some stages. Or Quinclorac.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Celcius was like Gatorade to the crabgrass up here in the panhandle. I recommend pulling or Quinchlorac if it is still early growth.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Can it be applied in the same sprayer along with other products, such as T-Nex, or best to spot spray by itself?


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

I would spot spray it in the evening. I would not mix it with T-Nex.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Appreciate the assists. Thanks


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Need an assist on Quinclorac for my crabgrass. Is there a simple way to decipher the math for a 63 year old knuckle dragger to understand how much per gallon of water? New math as well as old math were not my strong subjects.


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## ktgrok (May 25, 2019)

Sure. It is 0.367 oz (or more easily measured as 10.8 millimeters) per 1,000 sq ft. How much water you use to cover that 1,000 sq feet is up to you, but needs to be at least half a gallon, I'd suggest a full gallon.

You can add in MSO to increase effectiveness, but not in high temperatures like we have now. Could use a spreader/sticker type adjuvant instead, but again, a bit risky in high temperatures. Also says that adding in some liquid nitrogen fertilizer or iron with the mix will help avoid discoloring the grass.


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## ktgrok (May 25, 2019)

Oh, and because those labels are always tiny and hard to read, I use the online version. https://www.domyown.com/msds/Quinclorac_75_DF_Label2_(1).pdf


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

You're a godsend. Thanks.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

To my fellow Floridians, be safe and smart during Dorian's adventure through the state.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

For us with sandy soil, what's the recommendation for lawn leveling? There's a Landscape Depot near me that has a compost/topsoil mix that looks pretty clean.


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## LawnRat (Mar 22, 2019)

Just use sand. You don't want "layers" of different dirt types because bad things can happen. Most topsoil down here is just sand mixed with various organic crap that is usually full of weed seeds. <that's how I got my lovely doveweed problem.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Crabgrass removal under way. I have a question on lawn leveling here in FL. since we are mostly a sandy soil, is it better to use a topsoil/compost mix to assist in leveling? Obviously without the chunks.


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## Oceanus (Sep 17, 2018)

+1 sand only


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## Darrell_KC (Mar 20, 2019)

Just as an FYI, I had luck killing crabgrass and spurge using a light hit of Spectracide Weed Stop plus Crabgrass killer. Its basically a mix of 24-D, Quinclorac and Dicambia. I mixed it at 5 oz for 2 gallons of water. It also did a good number on nutsedge

One major caveat for Central Florida, it has a 90 degree temp limit. I sprayed mine when it was 82 outside during a cool spell. It did serious damage to the crabgrass and spurge outbreak I had in spots my Yukon didnt fill in. It does say it will yellow bermuda, and later of course I read how dangerous Quinclorac specifically can be for Yukon. In my case, I was spot spraying full weed areas, but the few areas where there was some bermuda, it has not changed color and has already started growing again 10 days after spraying. I dont know if I would trust it as a blanket spray to this point, but I feel a little better hitting some hardcore weed patches.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Yeah, thanks. I'm doing the spot spray only, and using the Spectracide. Good to know I'm not alone.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Can bentgrass and Bermuda coexist, if I maintain a barrier between them? My shaded areas are really struggling with the Bermuda.


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## ktgrok (May 25, 2019)

Does bent grass even grow in Florida? How about a zoysia?


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

I had bad luck with zoysia 5 years ago. It never performed to what I expected, and ended up replacing it with the Bermuda 2 years ago.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

Crabgrass is just about gone. Can I scalp and top dress this time of the year here in central Florida? I'd really like to get rid of my peaks and valleys in the front.


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## Oceanus (Sep 17, 2018)

Probably... It depends on how much (deep) sand you'll be asking the grass to push through and when you want it to look normal again. Here in CFL bermunda usually doesn't go fully dormant, but I'm sure you've noticed the growth slowing as the rain and sunlight decrease. So, it's kinda late for a topdressing in general but it will survive. 2-3 inches of sand might take a month. Read through some smoothing/leveling threads for tips and share pics.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

I'd only be putting down no more than 1/2" across the whole yard.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

For the folks here in sunny Florida, what is your regiment for fall and winter maintenance for Bermuda. Specifically Celebration. Here's the yard prior to our first "cold snap" coming through this week. I have crabgrass I'm working on, along with nutsedge in spots.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

To those out there, is there a preferred post emergent for Celebration Bermuda? Quinclorac, or Celsius? Or something else?


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## FlaDave (Jul 10, 2018)

For broadleafs use Speedzone when temps are under 85, Celsius when temps are over 85. Quinclorac for crabgrass and torpedo grass. Certainty or sedgehammer for sedges.


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## bbbdkc79 (Oct 16, 2018)

The scourge of the spotted spurge has set in. I have the tools to combat, but I'm asking for advice on how to combat the thinness of the grass. You can see the large oak that is on my east side, so that portion of the back yard does not get any true sun until well after noon. The other 2 shots are from my front yard, which gets full sun all day. 

The last picture is what my front yard looks like as of its last cut as of today. I need help


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