Roundup on dormant Bermuda

[F6Hawk]

The weather here in south Alabama is unseasonably warm, but cool enough that my bermuda has gone dormant. However, several weeds and undesirable grasses are still growing; can I spray a weak application of Roundup to knock these down while the bermuda is dormant without hurting the bermuda?

TIA!
F6

[PLM-1]

I would prolly say no. I haven't had much experience with Bermuda but spraying round-up on anything that you don't want killed won't work. Round-up is a 'total vegetation killer'. depending on what type of weeds they are you may try a broad-leaf killer. Or just dig them out! good luck

[F6Hawk]

I would prolly say no. I haven't had much experience with Bermuda but spraying round-up on anything that you don't want killed won't work. Round-up is a 'total vegetation killer'. depending on what type of weeds they are you may try a broad-leaf killer. Or just dig them out! good luck

I have done JUST that, but don't want to put any more 2,4D on my lawn. I have applied it 3 times already, and don't want to exceed the legal amount. I might wait another month and hit those weedy hangers-on with some Atrazine before the bermuda begins to green up again, if the concensus is no Roundup on dormant bermuda.

Thanks!

[65hoss]

I would prolly say no. I haven't had much experience with Bermuda but spraying round-up on anything that you don't want killed won't work. Round-up is a 'total vegetation killer'. depending on what type of weeds they are you may try a broad-leaf killer. Or just dig them out! good luck


Roundup on dormant bermuda will NOT hurt it. But dormant only. With that said, you better inspect it very closely. The warm temps have allowed it to green up a bit down low. Pull the top back and inspect. I've found in most lawns, mine included, the new green stems starting to arrive. My Zoysia is coming back big time. No need to dig in it, you can see green leaf area everywhere. So, make sure you inspect it very good. :waving:

[NickN]

Yes,you can spray with Round Up while the bermuda is dormant.I'd spot treat any weeds,most likely tall fescue,if possible.If it's Henbit you are having trouble with,2-4D will work.

[TurfGuyTX]

Yes,you can spray with Round Up while the bermuda is dormant.I'd spot treat any weeds,most likely tall fescue,if possible.If it's Henbit you are having trouble with,2-4D will work.

Hoss said it too. Dormant bermuda can be sprayed. Do check it closely. Realize that with cooler temps, Round-up will work slower than normal.

[out4now]

You can. Is the broadleaf just working real slow though? Bermuda is pretty sturdy. Its about all we have here. When its cold it will move slowly through the plant. The consensus so far seems to be go ahead.

[smlavin]

What about dormant St. Augustine? Can I use Round-Up to spot treat weeds in my St. Augustine lawn?

[TurfGuyTX]

You can if your sure it's good and dormant.

[F6Hawk]

Well, I have applied 2,4-D twice recently, once it rained within 36 hours, and the other time, it got cold the day after I applied it. So I think these two things worked against the weed control. I am sure another well-timed application of either 2,4-D or Atrazine will get the broadies, but there are 3 diff types of grass that are still green growing, and wanted to get them too. The bermuda is hybrid, but methinks there is some of the seeded variety coming in from the neighbor's yard, as well.

Thanks for the advice, I am not sure it will work, I looked at it closely today, and there is a bit of green scattered throughout the lawn (currently mowed to 1"), so perhaps the bermuda is not as dormant as I thought, or else there is more "junk grass" than I thought. Will look at it more closely this weekend.

Thanks again!

F6

[ThreeWide]

Even in North GA I've seen some spots in Bermuda lawns trying to break dormancy. I'm sure your lawn is greening up at the soil level in spots as well.

We have more seasonal temperatures coming in, so my advice would be wait another week or two. The bermuda will go back to complete dormancy again once you've had some colder nights.

Then spot spray roundup at no more than 1% AI rate. You don't have to drench the target weed. Just enough to get it on the tissue.

[F6Hawk]

Even in North GA I've seen some spots in Bermuda lawns trying to break dormancy. I'm sure your lawn is greening up at the soil level in spots as well.

We have more seasonal temperatures coming in, so my advice would be wait another week or two. The bermuda will go back to complete dormancy again once you've had some colder nights.

Then spot spray roundup at no more than 1% AI rate. You don't have to drench the target weed. Just enough to get it on the tissue.


You're absolutely right. A tad bit of green on the surface last week when I first posted this, and a closer look showed a lot of green underneath. I am hoping this weekend's cold snap will put 'er back to sleep!

Yes, I was planning on mixing the Roundup kinda weak, so as to kill the weeds, but not hurt the grass. There are a few varieties of green grass in the yard that aren't hybrid bermuds (such as a seeded variety of bermuda) that I would like to kill, and hope this does the trick along with the weeds. It's been two years now, and the lawn looks a TON better than the previous owner left it; compliments have been coming in from all the neighbors, Ijust want to get it that last little bit closer to perfection.

The back yard still has quite a few weeds and crabgrass, but I have not been focusing on it nearly so much. But what can I apply in the spring to kill crabgrass, both on the front bermuda, and on the back centipede? The back yard was overrun in spots where the centipede isn't well established, and I would like to wipe out the crabby stuff as much as posible. I gave up pulling the crabgrass last year by May; it was about the only thing growing in some of the dirt areas.

Thanks for all the help, I know I can beat this stuff with your help!

F6

[ThreeWide]

First, the roundup you spray won't help you with your different varieties of Bermuda. Its all dormant, so you are just killing the weeds.

Go to your local Home Depot, etc. and purchase some pre-emergent ASAP. You need the kind without fertilizer (0-0-7) Put that out now at 1/2 of the rate listed on the bag. The bag says 4lbs/1000, so you should put down 2lbs/1000. By doing this now, you will prevent more winter weeds from surfacing. The first week of March, do the same thing again. This March app is necessary to prevent crabgrass. Do not exceed the max application rate listed on the bag. This is not a case where more is better, because over applying can damage your turf root system.

If you follow that, most if not all of your weeds and crabgrass will be prevented this year. Remember that cragrass germinates from seed, existing plants are permanently dead.

[F6Hawk]

First, the roundup you spray won't help you with your different varieties of Bermuda. Its all dormant, so you are just killing the weeds.

Go to your local Home Depot, etc. and purchase some pre-emergent ASAP. You need the kind without fertilizer (0-0-7) Put that out now at 1/2 of the rate listed on the bag. The bag says 4lbs/1000, so you should put down 2lbs/1000. By doing this now, you will prevent more winter weeds from surfacing. The first week of March, do the same thing again. This March app is necessary to prevent crabgrass. Do not exceed the max application rate listed on the bag. This is not a case where more is better, because over applying can damage your turf root system.

If you follow that, most if not all of your weeds and crabgrass will be prevented this year. Remember that cragrass germinates from seed, existing plants are permanently dead.

Is it better to use the packaged kind? I have 2-4,D and Atrazine in liquid form now, was planning on using that. But will do it at the times you recommend. I was told they don't do much against crabgrass, I hope you are right about that!

F6

[ThreeWide]

What you have are post-emergents. They are to be applied to existing weeds.

Pre-emergents are applied to establish a barrier in the soil to kill anything that germinates below. Pre-emergents are available in granular for homeowners and sometimes liquid for pros.

Home Depot carries the Lesco brand in my area, that's why I suggested the 0-0-7 which contains Pendimethalin. All other brands of pre-em I've seen have a Nitrogen fertilizer included, which you do not need on your dormant Bermuda. The 0-0-7 contains Potassium, which is always good for your turf.

[F6Hawk]

What you have are post-emergents. They are to be applied to existing weeds.

Pre-emergents are applied to establish a barrier in the soil to kill anything that germinates below. Pre-emergents are available in granular for homeowners and sometimes liquid for pros.

Home Depot carries the Lesco brand in my area, that's why I suggested the 0-0-7 which contains Pendimethalin. All other brands of pre-em I've seen have a Nitrogen fertilizer included, which you do not need on your dormant Bermuda. The 0-0-7 contains Potassium, which is always good for your turf.

Got it, thanks. Heard of the Lesco, but Lowe's doesn't have it. Nearest Home Depot is an hour away, maybe I will take a trip this weekend.

Someone had told me that Atrazine, when applied to dormant bermuda and watered in well would act as a pre-emergent. Not true?

[ThreeWide]

Yes, that is true about Atrazine. You would need to spray the entire lawn, and it does not have the same length of effectiveness compared to the granular products. Atrazine would also kill your Bermuda if it wasn't dormant, nor is it good for preventing crabgass.

Lowes carries pre-ems as well. Just make sure the product you buy doesn't have more than 10% Nitrogen.

[YardPro]

What about dormant St. Augustine? Can I use Round-Up to spot treat weeds in my St. Augustine lawn?

NO

st augistine never goes totally dormant...

also, bermuda is a whole different situation. the blades of bermuda DIE every winter, NEVER to regrow again. that's why you scalp cut in the spring, to remove the dead blades.

this is why you can apply roundup on "dormant" bermuda

it has to regrow from rhizomes every spring.

[smlavin]

YardPro,

Thanks for the info. I have a St. Augustine lawn and I am trying to get the weeds out of it, so I was wondering if the Roundup would be a short-cut. My neighbors and I would like to thank you for not having a lawn full of dead spots this spring. :D :waving:

[VWBOBD]

As A Very Experienced Bermuda Dude, I Can Tell You That You Can Round Up The Snot Out Of Bermuda And Not Hurt It, Ive Used It To Spot Treat In Summer Before I Learned Of Other Methods And Products Out There. Sure It Browned In The Spots But It Didnt Take Very Long For It To Be Overtaken With Surrounding Grass And Green Up Again In A Matter Of Days. I Now Have Better Knowledge And Use Proper Product For Spot Treatment But I Still Use Round Up In Winter For That Blasted Henbit.
One Thing That I Have Found That Most Bermuda Grass Lawns Have Is Deep Down There Are Slight Gaps Where The Sod Was Placed Together. Although You Cannot See Them , They Are Still Big Enough To Let Weeds Through. I Find That On All The Lawns I Have Topdressed There Is Less Of The Invasion Of Weeds Than On Undressed Lawns.
About 6 Years Ago I Hired A National Lawn Maint. Company To Apply There Treatments On My Lawn. Before I Hired Them I Used Round Up On Half Of My Lawn , I Ran Out OF PRODUCT And Decided To Hire Them . They Came In And Sprayed With Their "professional " Weed Treatment. About A Month Later The Guy Came Out And Was Bragging To Me About How Good The Treatment Had Worked (as We Walked Around My House On The Side That I Had Used Round Up) He Immediatley Stopped Talking As We Approached The Backyard And He Saw The Huge Billowing Piles Of Henbit That I Had Bit My Lip And Let Grow So He Could See It. He Looked Around And Noticed That Exactly Half Of My Entire Lawn Was 100% Weed Free. Then I Told Him What The Reason Was. So In A Nutshell........use Round Up, It Works Better Than Most Of The High Dollar "professional" Treatments. I Reccomend The Highest Concentrated Version.