You may find your lawn thinning in areas, or it isn’t growing as much as you thought it wood. You may even wonder, does Bermuda grass spread, or is your lawn the best its ever going to be?
Even if there are different types, Bermuda grass types don’t have too much of an impact on the thickness of your grass. Other factors determine this, and you can use these to your advantage.
By the end of our guide, you can learn how to get Bermuda grass to spread and cover your lawn area in thick green blades.
Why Is My Bermuda Grass Patchy?
There are reasons for patchy lawns with Bermuda grass.
Poor topsoil is compacted, making it difficult to find the air, nutrients and water from the grass roots
Excessive shade, insufficient fertilizer, and often the infestation of insects and diseases could make Bermudagrass small leaving thin, patchy areas. (Find the Best Organic Fertilizer For Lawn)
If you have such a problem, here’s how to make your Bermuda grass thicker.
To create thick Bermuda grass, add sufficient fertilizer to feed the grass adequately and in the correct ratio.
To foster thicker growth, mow lower than one-inch to induce healthy growth, and make sure to water your lawn afterward.
Always apply weed killer at the right moment for a healthier, greener lawn when weeds trigger thinning. (Read Does Grass Seed Expire)
What Fertilizer Is Best For Bermuda Grass?
Spring and early summer are the best times to encourage your lawn to grow thicker with a lush green appearance.
This time is typically the best, especially for Bermuda grass lawns. So, feeding it with sufficient fertilizer to grow quick is essential.
To assess low-level nutrients, conduct a soil test (you can purchase kits to do this yourself)
Apply sufficient NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) using a general-purpose fertilizer with a 4: 1: 2 ratios.
Strong grass needs fertilizer using a 4:1:2 ratio combining the three key elements. Check your soil before adding anything to your lawn. Should a low level of fertilizer be the reason your lawn looks underwhelming, then it’s time to add fertilizer.
The advantage of applying fertilizer is it can help eliminate disease, weeds, and can make your lawn drought resistant. (Find the Best Liquid Lawn Fertilizer)
If there are drought conditions, most lawn types with Bermuda grass tend to thin out. Ensuring lawns grow thick before the season can help you avoid such issues.
How Often Should You Fertilize Bermuda Grass
Don’t forget, the type of fertilizer will need watering in in the case of powder, or granular, liquid or water-soluble is applied with a hose.
Mid-Spring
When soil temps hit 60-65 degrees, Bermuda grass greens, and after danger of frosts has passed and your lawn is at least 50 per cent is the best time to apply.
This ends to be mid-March and mid-April. Use a complete lawn fertilizer containing slow-release nitrogen. Apply per 1.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet which lasts 2-3 months.
Mid-Summer
Approximately 2-3 months after your spring application, fertilize again in mid-summer such as late June or early July.
Use a complete lawn fertilizer comprising a type of nitrogen slow release. Apply per 1000 square feet 1.5 pounds of nitrogen.
Early-Fall
Fertilize your Bermuda grass lawn again at the end of August at the beginning of September. You may use the same full fertilizer or a fertilizer with no phosphorus yet higher potassium.
Something like 12-4-14 or 12-0-12. Either way, the fertilizer should have slow-release nitrogen to add 1.5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
Winter
Don’t fertilize Bermuda grass in the winter.
How Do You Make Bermuda Grass Greener?
There are a few things you can do to offer the best lawn care to make sure grass grows its best. Follow these tips, and you can easily make Bermuda grass thicker.
Mowing
Mowing your lawn is vital when trying to grow thick lawns. Mowing makes your Bermuda grass grow and spread laterally rather than just in height.
The secret is mow lower than the usual couple of inches in height, and the recommendation is lower than one-inch, to no more than 2-inches in height.
Also, it would help if you increased the frequency of mowing in the growing season as it helps promote faster growth. (Learn How to Reseed Lawn)
Here are two tips to promote thick and fast growth of Bermuda grass lawns.
- Always follow mowing grasses with watering
- Always make a check and increase the fertilizer levels
You can see this effect on golf courses as they are mowing every day or two in certain areas, and their lawn care makes their grass look well healthy and fantastic.
Aeration
You may hear about aerating your lawn enough during late spring and early summer.
While this helps, for a good healthy, thicker Bermuda grass lawn, start to aerate when your grass is beginning to turn all green as it will enhance stronger and faster growth.
Additionally, it’s usually best to aerate right after scalping when your grass is short. When you water, this can get right to the roots.
When you have clay or dry hard-packed soil, you usually start aerating early to promote improved nutrient and water penetration.
Weeds
You’ll find you have weeds sometimes, so you need to use a post-emergent herbicide to remove crabgrass and broad-leaf grassy weeds.
The recommended method is using a herbicide, although don’t apply it across your lawn. Focus on affected areas to kill weeds and let your Bermuda grass to grow thick and full.
Pre-emergent weed killers are best applied close to when you are aerating your soil. You can see the signs year after year of these weeds, hence why a pre-emergent is the best option.
Apply your pre-emergent early in spring to stop weeds germinating. You can apply pre-emergent every 60 to 90 days if you think you’ll have a heavy weed infestation
Killing weeds early in the year means you don’t need to worry about the hotter parts of the year.
