The Planting Season for Common Bermuda

Seeding

• Seeding your yard with common Bermuda requires a spring planting time. Because Bermuda takes two to four weeks to germinate, you need both the spring and summer to establish strong seedlings. Spread your seeds across the yard in spring when the days are lengthening. You should rake them and apply a lawn roller across the ground to ensure a 1/4-inch depth for each seed. Bermuda will not sprout successfully if planted any deeper. Water your yard at least twice a day for two weeks to stimulate germination and root establishment. A light mulching with straw helps conserve soil moisture as warm summer weather sets in.

Sodding

• Common Bermuda sod quickly establishes itself if properly installed in either spring or summer. Because the turf is already a dense seedling cluster, your establishment time is shorter than is seeding alone. Even a late-summer installation can still be successful before cool weather returns. Lay your sod on moist soil and adhere the roots into the ground with a lawn roller. Similar to seeding, irrigate your sod to ensure root establishment into the soil. Once established, your new sod spreads and thickens through above-ground and underground stems, or stolons and rhizomes, respectively.

Dormancy

• Avoid planting Bermuda from either sod or seed during the fall and winter. This dormancy period does not provide active growth for seedling establishment. In fact, Bermuda needs soil temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit to properly germinate and grow. If you seed during dormancy, water runoff from autumn and winter weather often impedes germination and establishment; seeds are not uniformly spread across the ground and disappear into rainfall drains. Your best course of action is to wait until spring for any Bermuda installation project.

Environmental Considerations

• Although spring and summer are ideal planting periods, your local conditions influence the success of installing Bermuda. Prune any trees or tall shrubs that shade your yard before sodding or seeding. Bermuda cannot establish quickly in shady conditions. Ample sunlight also warms the soil for rapid germination. Both seed and sod grow quickly in well-drained, moist soil along with warm conditions. If properly installed, your Bermuda grass becomes a tough turf ready for foot traffic while still retaining a green color throughout the spring, summer and fall.