Help me save my bermuda grass...

[Grimace]

I just moved into a previously foreclosed home a month ago and the lawn is rough to say the least. It is bermuda grass and I'm in the central california desert (Bakersfield) with a climate similar to Phoenix.

I don't know where to start. I've done searches on the net and poured over this site, and from what I gather I need to put down some sort of weed killer/ fertilizer.

Also I would like to know how to reclaim the flower beds. They are completely over grown with weeds, and a few of the beds have been infiltrated by the grass. Can I just hand pull the weeds and grass and call it a day?

Clearly my plants are also hurting for some nutrients. I know the grass looks dormant but the warm weather is already starting out here. We've arleady had a few 80 degree days. Some of my neighbors grass looks great, nice and green.

I am not against hiring someone to do the work, but I like to be an educated consumer. I want to know the process so that I can be sure my landscaping company is doing the right thing, although the first few treatments I would like to do myself.

I appreciate the help.

I've attached a few pictures.

Eddie

[Az Gardener]

Go ahead and get the weed-N-feed going and get some water to the lawn about every 5-7 days right now. Put down about an inch per watering. That will probably be about 20 minutes worth, I am guessing you have some type of pop up spray heads. I am also assuming you have a hard packed clay soil. Below is a cut and paste from some of my literature for h/o.

When watering turf, you want to put down one inch of water. Problems arise when water begins to run off before the time needed to accomplish one inch of water. The best method to overcome this problem is to have multiple start times relatively close together.
Ex: An area of turf with mounds and retention areas develops water puddles after 6 - 7 minutes of watering. To overcome this, set timer for 6 minutes and give three start times, 4 am, 4:45 am, and 5:30 am. Each water cycle will penetrate a little deeper provided the start times are close enough together that the soil surface does not dry out before the next start time. Having the water penetrate deeper will allow the roots to go deeper. The deeper roots will give your turf a larger nutrient tray to draw from. More nutrients equal healthier turf. An added bonus is by the second day the soil surface is dry and the weeds, that have a weaker root system, will be reduced. CAUTION - You cannot go from watering every day or every other day to every fourth or fifth day. This method is a gradual process, like training an athlete, you push more and more each day to determine how long between watering you can go without severely stressing the plant. Severe stress can be recognized when the turf looks dull and gray, or even black on hot spots. Try to water early in the morning 2 - 3 hours before sunrise. If you are able to get 4 - 5 days between watering in the summer, you are doing great.

As far as the weeds go spray then hul-hoe/pull them then get down a pre emergent to prevent future weeds. I would also suggest it for the lawn but you are going to want that Bermuda to start spreading out and I think a pre emergent might inhibit the Bermuda from spreading across the top. As far as the Bermuda in beds you will just have to stay on top of it with the round up until it stays gone the pre emerg wont kill Bermuda roots.

Once it heats up late March early April go to a over seed water cycle watering several times a day for 2-4 minutes each and pound it with N. You can do this for about 7-10 days and it will spread fast at first then slow down. After a week or so once you dry it up it will jump again. Water normal for 2 more weeks then you can repeat this cycle and the Bermuda will fill in quick. If you use heavy N applications every 3-4 weeks it will burn many of the weeds and keep the Bermuda pushing.

If you can get a inch or so of compost all over the top that will help too. In about July get it aerated and Remove the cores and fill the core holes with a product called "Turface" this will get the water to perk better and get some air down to the roots. You should have the best lawn in the neighborhood by Sept.

[Grimace]

Thanks for the help. Some of the techniques you mentioned went over my head a bit, but I'm getting better.

I hit a few turf dealers today, trying to get a game plan going. A few guys recomended going with a pre emergent first, then going in with a Scotts fertilizer with weed killer when the weather warms up. The theory there is the pre emergent will keep new weeds from germinating, and then the turf builder fertilizer will kill the weeds that are already there. They also recomended a spray that would kill the weeds but not the grass.

They also recomended Round Up on the weeds and grass in the flower beds, similar to what you described. Kill them and pull them out.

One guy told me to hit the grass with Round Up. He said that would kill all the weeds and the grass, but the grass would come back when the weather warmed up, but the weeds that are born from seeds would be stunted by the pre emergent. A sound theory, but makes me nervous. It says right on the bottle that it kills grass.

The one thing that seemed to make everyone nervous was crab grass. They said their products would kill broad leaf weeds, but crab grass was an entirely different animal all together. From the pictures do you see any crab grass? My untrained eyes do not, but I'm not an expert.

Also, you mentioned N, which I'm assuming means Nitrogen. No one even mentioned nitrogen today. Does it involve soil PH? I was told that they could test my soil, and based on the results add calcium or something else to raise or lower the PH.

Right now my gameplan is:

1. Put down pre emergent.
2. Spray weed killer on the grass to kill the weeds.
3. Spray Round up in the flower beds and pull all the dead weeds. (Should I put pre emergent in the flower beds?)
4. Test soil PH, add necessary additives to achieve 7 PH.
5. Put down Scotts Turf builder with weed killer when the weather warms up
6. Enjoy my sweet ass lawn.

Thanks for the help.

Eddie

[ed2hess]

lPre-m good in beds but it won't keep bermuda out....repeat RU will knock it out them put on pre-m. Don't use any weed-feed do like you are planning and get a pump sprayer and spot spray.