Bermuda and St. Augustine Grass

Posted on: Feb 05, 2019Ali

There are a few types of grass in Texas, the most common being Bermuda and  St. Augustine.

Each of these warm-season grasses require slightly different treatment patterns as well as different lawn care. It is important to understand which type of growing conditions you have in your area so that you can select the right type of grass for your landscape. It is also important to understand which grass you have so you can care for it correctly.  

St. Augustine Grass:

St. Augustine is a dark green grass with broad, flat blades. It spreads by above ground stolons, commonly known as “runners”, and forms a dense layer. This grass is common in Texas and offers a variety of benefits to home owners especially in areas with partial and full shade. It does not produce any rhizomes and the stolons can grow to be several feet long and root at the nodes. St. Augustine is a warm season grass and it is mainly found in the southern United States.

Watering Instructions for St. Augustine:

When watering your St. Augustine grass be sure to set sprayer zones for 30 minutes, and rotor zones for 45 minutes. These settings should yield about ½ inch to ¾ on an inch of water, per watering cycle, which is ideal for St. Augustine. For an already well-maintained lawn, two to three times per week is ideal. During the hot summer months you should never go more than 3 days without watering your St. Augustine Grass. Weakened lawns need even more water than that.

 Bermuda Grass:

The runners seen in Bermuda grass are the most commonly recognized feature of Bermuda grass. Bermuda is an invasive grass and for that reason, it is great for repairing bare and thin spots. It is one of the very few grasses that self repairs. This grass is a perennial (grows yearly) grass, it has a very rich green tone, it can grow well in hot temperatures and it is extremely drought resistant. Bermuda grass reproduces by seeds or stems and can go dormant within a week of cooler temperatures. Bermuda grass is not shade tolerant whatsoever and therefore should only be planted in sunny areas.

Watering Instructions for Bermuda:

When watering your Bermuda grass be sure to set sprayer zones for 35 minutes each, and rotor zones for 50 minutes and this should produce about a ¾  inch to 1 inch of water per watering. A sprinkler system with proper pressure and reach should be able to get the job done in the time listed above.  For an already well-maintained, lawn three times a week should do the job properly. During the hot summer months, you should never go more than 2 days without watering your Bermuda Grass. Weakened lawns need even more water than that.  Hand watering weak spots may be called for if your area has watering restrictions.

Have Other Lawn Care Questions?

For other great lawn care tips and tricks, check out our blog. We’re full of all kinds of useful information when you need a hand with keeping your lawn beautiful all year around. Prefer to your yard’s care to a lawn maintenance company? We’d be glad to help. No matter what you need, we’re here for you. Get a free lawn care quote today!