# Different Shades of Bermuda



## robnavarro (May 20, 2018)

Hello!

Need some advice on the best way to handle these patches of different shades of green. The sod was installed in Oct 2016 by some contractor the home builder goes through and they told me it was just common Bermuda, but I had a neighbor tell me they told him it was tifway 419, regardless, I have had these patches since that first spring. The patches drive me nuts every time I have to drive by my house. Im pretty sure that these areas are actually a different type of Bermuda grass because the patches are all almost squares, plus the blades look different as well. What would be the best way to get rid of them? Should I "cut" out these squares with a shovel or kill them with a chemical, both options I would fill in the spots sand/dirt and let the other grass spread into those spots? Or any other options I have that Im not thinking of?


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## DTCC_Turf (May 26, 2018)

I think this could POSSIBLY be a case of grain, and the different shades that result from which direction the pieces of sod were laid.


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

I have the same issue with builder laid sod. I've noticed the difference in structure of the leaf/blade and density between the different shades also.

I have a friend who has a recent build and has noticed the same thing as well with the sod at his house.


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## lamontjb (Jun 24, 2018)

Curious, IF his issue is the grain, can you change the direction over time using rollers or other methods?


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## canyoncove (Aug 18, 2018)

Would love to know any suggestions here.. I have the SAME EXACT issue. Sod went down in Oct 2016. I live in North GA and have the identical patches.. I looks to me like they're different grasses..

I don't think there's a direction per say on how sod is put down. The direction it gets mowed, however, would change it either way.

I was thinking maybe those pieces of sod were put on a poorly drained or poorly cultivated soil before the sod was laid down.


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## canyoncove (Aug 18, 2018)

I think it might be Poa Trivialis. Which is next to impossible to kill unless you dig up the entire patch and re-sod, or use Round-up and re-seed.


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Use Sulfosulfuron for triv.


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

ok 
1st
Why in the hell did your builder sod your home in common bermuda. A trip to home depot and a bag of seeds would have done just as good for a fraction.

What it does tell me is that your builder was cheap and cut corners to maximize profit.
that being said i can almost guarantee they used sod from 2 different locations on your home.
Just because it is common doesn't mean its all the same. EL toro or black jack or yuma all can look different but are all common.
SO he goes to one sod farm that is the cheapest and they dont have enouph sod for your home but he is going to save money so he buys all they have. Then he goes to another farm or homedepot and gets sod from another farm.
They both say common bermuda but one is a different variety.

Unfortunatly unless you know where he got the grass from and what type of grass he used its going to be impossible to match it exactly.

The only remedy is to kill the bermuda patches and let the grass around it grow in and spread. Its gona look ugly for a season but thats what you can do. For the larger areas you can kill and then buy a pro plugger and plug areas from the grass you like into the dead spots.


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

oh yeah I wouldnt be me if i didnt point out your magnolia tree in the front.
As it grows the bermuda around it will die exponentially.

A couple more years from now you wont have to worry about the spot around your tree. They can grow tall and wide

tree vs bermuda = Tree wins


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

tree vs bermuda vs chainsaw = bermuda wins!


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> tree vs bermuda vs chainsaw = bermuda wins!


tree vs bermuda vs chainsaw vs HOA = tree+HOA wins! (HOA issues fine, forces replanting of tree.)


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

adgattoni said:


> Suburban Jungle Life said:
> 
> 
> > tree vs bermuda vs chainsaw = bermuda wins!
> ...


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## robnavarro (May 20, 2018)

I ended up just pulling out as much as I could, scalped a week or so after, added some sand in those areas I pulled from and then pounded it with N. Then let the other grass out compete it and if it was coming back then I just pulled it out again. It's not all out but it's way less noticeable. Only problem was the nutsedge that sprung up in those spots. As, for the tree. I want it out, but I would have to compromise with the wife to move it instead… to the back yard which is treeless. I got married before I got into grass. Haha.


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## N LA Hacker (Aug 17, 2018)

Pull the tree out and put in a dwarf crape myrtle


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

Tellycoleman said:


> Why in the hell did your builder sod your home in common bermuda.


I've decided that at least around here, the sod fields of some growers will start to get over run with common, but they are selling so much to builders (likely at a discounted price due to poor quality), that they don't want to undertake the effort to get rid of it. Most homeowners will never know the difference anyway.


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## tcorbitt20 (Aug 31, 2018)

I had several patches of different sod when we moved in. I cut it out and patched it when I did a sand leveling. It turned out well for me, and I think it's all in my lawn journal if you're interested in any more details.


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

Tellycoleman said:


> ok
> 1st
> Why in the hell did your builder sod your home in common bermuda. A trip to home depot and a bag of seeds would have done just as good for a fraction.
> 
> *What it does tell me is that your builder was cheap and cut corners to maximize profit.*


You're exactly right. I asked when we met with our Foreman what the cultivar was and he just said, bermuda. I asked if it was 419 or something else trying to get more info, and he had no idea.

They just use the lowest bidding subcontractor to do the work and they're going to use the cheapest option in order to maximize profits. I hate my common bermuda, but it's what i've got to work with until i can get the go ahead from my wife to kill it off.


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## OD on Grass (Nov 1, 2018)

The construction company that did our house seems to have used a mix of common and hybrid Bermuda. I'm seriously considering seeing if they want it back and I'll start from scratch with seeds. I've also heard about people selling Bermuda. Anybody heard of selling their yard as sod??? If I do it, I'll definitely be putting the whole thing up on YouTube.


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

OD on Grass said:


> The construction company that did our house seems to have used a mix of common and hybrid Bermuda. I'm seriously considering seeing if they want it back and I'll start from scratch with seeds. I've also heard about people selling Bermuda. Anybody heard of selling their yard as sod??? If I do it, I'll definitely be putting the whole thing up on YouTube.


Was it just recently laid? If not, you will probably need to chemically kill it. Even a sodcutter won't get all of the roots out, and it'll creep back in over time.

Side note: you would be better off sodding, plugging, or sprigging in a hybrid bermuda vs. seeding. The seeded varieties aren't as hardy as the hybrid varieties (which only produce sterile seeds).


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

If they mixed the 2 varieties i wouldnt be happy. I wouldnt ask them if they want it back i would demand it.
Who wants to deal with that?
But your idea of seeding is ok only if you get a higher quality seed like Riviera Yukon or Princess. If your not going to do that then dont get Generic bermuda seed you find at homedepot or Lowes.
If you already budgeted for sod then go ahead and get all sod. Just dont let them get away with doing it cheap. They could have spent $250 more bucks to get it all hybrid. I hate contractors who do just enough instead of quality.


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## OD on Grass (Nov 1, 2018)

adgattoni said:


> OD on Grass said:
> 
> 
> > The construction company that did our house seems to have used a mix of common and hybrid Bermuda. I'm seriously considering seeing if they want it back and I'll start from scratch with seeds. I've also heard about people selling Bermuda. Anybody heard of selling their yard as sod??? If I do it, I'll definitely be putting the whole thing up on YouTube.
> ...


Thanks for the reply! I have been reading a lot on here about it and I will probably have to go the round up route.


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## OD on Grass (Nov 1, 2018)

Tellycoleman said:


> If they mixed the 2 varieties i wouldnt be happy. I wouldnt ask them if they want it back i would demand it.
> Who wants to deal with that?
> But your idea of seeding is ok only if you get a higher quality seed like Riviera Yukon or Princess. If your not going to do that then dont get Generic bermuda seed you find at homedepot or Lowes.
> If you already budgeted for sod then go ahead and get all sod. Just dont let them get away with doing it cheap. They could have spent $250 more bucks to get it all hybrid. I hate contractors who do just enough instead of quality.


I thought about princess seed. Sounds like most people think it wouldn't be as hardy as other hybrids. I guess I get to do a lot of roundup, scalping and trying to get what I have to spread. What stinks is that I don't even know what type it is. I called the sod company and asked if they knew. The reply I got ... "it's Bermuda". Thanks...


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## tcorbitt20 (Aug 31, 2018)

I would think you should be able to take some up close pictures of it and take them by their office. Surely they could tell by looking at it. I was fortunate enough to have a friend at the sod farm. He came by and knew exactly what I had in about 5 seconds.


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## andymac7 (Oct 30, 2018)

So, I'm a tree man, and the absolute LAST thing I ever do is take them out. That's just crazy me. Anyway, what you can also do is trim up the bottom limbs higher than you normally would. That way the bermuda does actually get adequate sun. Sure, you may not love your trees looking like lollipops, but then again, you might . Also don't forget that weak grass under trees in general isn't always due to shade. Tree roots really suck up moisture and nutrients. In the summer I go around my trees and apply extra food and water.

As far as those light patches of bermuda you have there... That really strikes me as the cultivar Latitude 36 that my local golf course installed last year.



As you can see it has a lighter green color and a fine leaf texture. This was just last month, so the course was apparently letting their fairways get long in prep for winter (notice my nice drive  lol). But let me just say, when they were cut at the proper height, I had never laid my eyes on such beautiful carpets of green


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