Bad Rap for Bahia??? - LawnSite.com™

Landscape Poet · #1 04-19-2012, 06:49 PM

So here is my thoughts - Bahia can be a very attractive turf grass for a residential lawn if properly cared for, meaning you feed it, water it, remove pest from it...just like you would with a St. Augustine lawn if you wanted it to last, however I think it generally gets a bad rap because of neglect.

So thought I would post a picture of a Bahia lawn that I care for and was on today. Tell me if you see anything wrong with this lawn and why it does not make a attractive turf in your opinion.

Post pictures of your Bahia lawns if you have ones that you feel are good lawns too.

Ric · #2 04-19-2012, 07:12 PM

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Mikey

Bahia isn't a bad grass if you have the Correct soil for it. Unfortunately the S W Gulf Coastal of Florida where I am, has calcareous sandy. Bahia likes a pH of 6 and my area has a 9.5 natural pH. Therefore Bahia Doesn't do very well in my area.

BTW Bahia on good soil is like Bluegrass in the fact you really can't mess it up. Any one can take care of it.

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Landscape Poet · #3 04-19-2012, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric

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BTW Bahia on good soil is like Bluegrass in the fact you really can't mess it up. Any one can take care of it.

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From what I have seen on the lawns that have irrigation and have the lawn properly cared for with maint and fert and squirt....I would tend to agree with you. Like we have discussed it would be a little more forgiving if something did go wrong as you could simply overseed like the guys up north vs the high cost of sodding.

The green that these bahia lawns have in the early early spring here is much much darker green compared to the St. Augustine lawns that surround them.

How is weed control on them Ric...is there a wider selection of herbicides that can be used on them than say S.A?

Ric · #4 04-19-2012, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landscape Poet

From what I have seen on the lawns that have irrigation and have the lawn properly cared for with maint and fert and squirt....I would tend to agree with you. Like we have discussed it would be a little more forgiving if something did go wrong as you could simply overseed like the guys up north vs the high cost of sodding.

The green that these bahia lawns have in the early early spring here is much much darker green compared to the St. Augustine lawns that surround them.

How is weed control on them Ric...is there a wider selection of herbicides that can be used on them than say S.A?

Mikey

Believe it or not I use a low rate of Roundup to control broad leafs. But the real point is there are several good herbicides for Bahia. There are Ag labeled pesticides that work even better.

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ArTurf · #5 04-20-2012, 07:13 PM

I would agree it can make a decent looking lawn. But when it starts producing it's seedhead is the problem. Do you do anything to suppress the seedhead, growth regulator? How do you fert it, how much N or K?

Ric · #6 04-20-2012, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArTurf

I would agree it can make a decent looking lawn. But when it starts producing it's seedhead is the problem. Do you do anything to suppress the seedhead, growth regulator? How do you fert it, how much N or K?

ArTurf

Seed Head are a bigger problem on Pensacola Bahia than Argentine Bahia. Pensacola Bahia is used more in Pastures and Road & Right Away setting than Residential lawns.

However Roundup applied at a lower rate can suppress Pensacola seed heads. You may want to use the search feature with the Key Words CHEMICAL MOWING for more information. I am not going to retype what I have already typed many times.

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Florida Gardener · #7 04-20-2012, 08:09 PM

IMO-Bahia that gets fert/irrigation is like a skirt steak with seasoning, it's still a skirt steak. It's funny how customers in your area irrigate/fert Bahia but will request you to cut zoysia at 4" with a big ztr.
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