Q: I read your article about Bermuda grass and have a question concerning the condo development where we live. The complex includes a large area of grass and mesquite trees. The HOA overseeds in the winter. This makes for a beautiful green area and also greatly cuts down on blowing dust. The landscaping company has advised the HOA to not overseed every three years to help the Bermuda grass. Does this make sense to you? I see many places (e.g. golf courses) that overseed every year and the Bermuda grass appears to come in just fine.
A:Â Yes, it makes sense. Continuous overseeding can cause stress to Bermuda grass if proper care is not taken for proper overseeding timing/preparation and proper spring transition back to healthy Bermuda grass conditions. Rye grass is a common cool season grass used to overseed Bermuda grass in the fall. Extended rye grass seasons on the front end from early overseeding and well beyond spring transition into summer will weaken the root system and reproductive capabilities of Bermuda grass. If these unhealthy practices are repeated annually, exhausted and stressed Bermuda grass diminishes over time and requires renovation. Thus, skipping overseeding every few years can provide the Bermuda grass a nice long growing season from March to November to rebuild roots. If the stress is minimized by best management practices and a good 100 days of optimal growing conditions are provided each year, Bermuda grass can be overseeded regularly. The minimum 100 days should be in the June through September timeframe. For more details on the timing and preparation, there is a nice publication available online by the University of Arizona turf grass specialists, David Kopec and Kai Umeda.
Peter L. Warren is the Forest Health Program Coordinator for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Questions, photos and videos may be emailed to tucsongardensage@gmail.com
