Overseeding Bermuda Grass For Winter

In the spring the rye competes with bermuda and customers often withhold water to transition from winter to summer grass.

Overseeding bermuda grass for winter. This will slow the ryegrass growth to reduce competition with the new bermuda seedlings and will also open the canopy to allow more sunlight on the soil surface for improved seed germination. Overseeding is not generally recommended on immature turf less than 6 to 8 months of age or first fall after planting. This is usually around september 15 in the upper south and october 15 in the lower south. Winter overseeding with a ryegrass.

Prepare the lawn before seeding by mowing your bermuda grass about 1 inch and by raking the lawn vigorously with a metal tined rake. The fertilizer may lead to cold weather injury on the bermuda if we have a severe winter. In the fall scalping the summer grass before dormancy doesn t allow for adequate storage of energy in the roots. In mid spring as soil temperatures approach 60 f mowing height should be reduced to half for the winter overseeded ryegrass.

Don t like the look of your brown bermuda lawn during winter. Over seed bermuda grass lawns when the soil temperature drops to 70. Overseeding with ryegrass does have drawbacks. If you want winter color in your bermuda grass lawn you ll need to overseed with a cool season grass seed typically perennial rye grass lolium perrene which grows in usda zones 2.

The grass competes with the bermuda for nutrients in the spring. If overseeding seems right for you now is the time to start getting ready. Cut your watering schedule down by half a few weeks before over seeding to allow the bermuda grass to go dormant. Being as it s a warm season grass variety the best time of the year to overseed your bermuda grass lawn is from spring early summer.

Overseed it with ryegrass and you ll have a brilliant green lawn all winter long. This time of the year is usually the peak growth season for bermuda grass and other warm season grass species. In spring soil temperatures are usually warm enough to facilitate bermuda seed development. The safest practice would be to wait until second year fall winter after your bermuda is established.

The first thing to do is not fertilize your bermuda grass 4 6 weeks before over seeding. The annual ritual of converting all forms of bermudagrass and other warm weather lawns to a winter hardy grass will soon be in full swing throughout the desert areas of arizona. Do not wait until the frost hits. Stop mowing your lawn one week before scalping it.

The conversion process is fairly easy to do as long as a few simple rules are followed. There s a simple solution. Plan to over seed in late september through early november when night time temperatures are below 60 degrees but not much cooler. For more information see clemson university s overseeding with ryegrass.

You do not want it to be actively growing when it is scalped.