Mowing Bermuda Grass: How to Do It Right. With Helpful Tips

Want to know how to maintain your lawn in top condition? Our comprehensive guide, backed by years of experience, will provide all the information you need. We’re confident we can help you keep your lawn looking its best.

Mowing Bermuda Grass:

Mow Bermuda 1-2 in May-Aug. In cooler months, mow to 1 in before green-up in April. Raise the mower if stressed. Use sharp blades and bag clippings if thatch. Mow weekly, reduce after frost—lower mowing height gradually in spring.

Transform your lawn into a green oasis. Our guide provides all the information you need to mow Bermuda grass effectively. Dive in to learn more. Your journey to a beautiful lawn begins now!

What is Bermuda Grass?

Bermuda grass is a consistent warm-season grass. It returns yearly and grows aggressively from late spring through the hot summer. This grass is sensitive to cold temperatures, unlike Zoysia grass or other cool-season grasses like turf-type tall fescue grass.

Bermuda grass also supports hay and creates good grazing land for livestock throughout the globe’s tropical and subtropical areas. It is often used for sports fields, lawns, parks, playgrounds, golf course fairways, roadsides, graveyards, and other commonly used turfs. 

Bermuda grass is a popular lawn choice because it is comparatively easy to care for, primarily because it does not require much attention throughout the year. Caring for Bermuda grass involves a few key steps.

• Understanding Bermuda Grass

You can grow a beautiful lawn by mowing, freshening, watering, and manuring the grass. Proper mowing is essential when caring for Bermuda grass. The cutting height is vital to consider when mowing Bermuda grass. 

Aerating your lawn also promotes healthy growth and can help prevent issues related to thatch buildup. Over time, neglecting to aerate your lawn can lead to thatch buildup, which can harm the health of your lawn.

The time to aerate your lawn is typically in the late spring or early summer when the grass grows most aggressively. This is when the grass can best recover from the aeration process. Following aeration, following the fertilizer recommendations based on your soil analysis results is essential.

• The Importance of Soil Analysis

Understanding your soil type and the soil analysis results can help you provide the best care for your lawn. Under ideal conditions, the hulled seeds can take root within 3 to 7 days. If the environment is imperfect, it is typical for Bermuda grass seeds to take 14 to 21 days for growth to occur.

However, in less optimal conditions, it can take longer. Many factors can influence the growth of Bermuda grass, and adjustments may need to be made based on your soil analysis results.

When and how to mow Bermuda Grass

● January through April

Cut the lawn a little shorter than the usual summer trimming stature. The mower should be set to a height of about 1 inch. Be careful not to put the lawnmower too fast, as it may scalp the lawn.

This should be accomplished just before lawn green-up, generally in late April or early May. Use a mower with a bagger to gather the clippings and eliminate deceased material left from winter inactivity if possible.

– How to Prepare Your Lawn for Mowing

Otherwise, the lawn can be hand-collected to remove the unnecessary dead leaves. A strong mower blade will neatly cut the grass knife blade and assist in removing the leaves.

Dull mower blades pull rather than cut the grass blades. The resultant ragged ends on the blades make the grass more vulnerable to illnesses. Refine the mower blade each year or as necessary during the expanding season.

● May Through August

Bermuda grass’s best mowing length is from 1 to 2 inches, varying on the site and managing system, and is verified by the lawn’s circumstances. At the start of the season, you should cut the grass at a height of 1¼ to 1½ inches to create a bench point.

This would be the calculated detachment from the mower blade to a rigid surface and can be decided using a small ruler. Mowing heights below 1 inch requires a reel-type mower to attain relevant results.

Over the next few mowings, steadily decrease the mowing height in as small an increment as possible. Examine the lawn after each mowing. Once at a height where the grass does not look nice or seems too slender or scalped, increase the mowing height back to the prior setting.

– Adjusting Mowing Height During Environmental Stress

However, cultivars of Bermuda grass modified to tolerable growth in preferential shade may be best cut at a 2-inch height. During cycles of environmental pressure due to high temperatures or a lack of rainfall, increase the mowing height until the stress is reduced.

Always mow the grass with a razor-sharp blade using an insulating-type mower, allowing the clippings to decay on the turf. The mower blade demands to be refined regularly. In most cases, about once a month, or at least before the growing season starts.

If the bag picks up soil, like sand mowing, check if the blades are still sharp. This can be needed more than once a month. Change the blades when they can not be sharpened anymore.

● September through December

Continue to mow the Bermuda grass lawn at the typical height until the weather cools. Once evening temperatures fall below 70 °F, marginally raise the mower to let more leaves surface. This will permit the turf to become adopted when it gets even colder or gets the first frost.

Bermuda Grass cutting height

Season	Cutting height
January through April	1 inch
May through August	2 inches
September through December	Increase slightly until the evening temperature gets below 70 degrees (21 C)

Pros and cons of Bermuda grass

● Pros of Bermuda Grass

There are numerous benefits to planting Bermuda grass. One of the major ones is that this type of grass is straightforward to sustain and is appealing to the eye.

It is also relatively stable and has an excellent recovery rate, making it appropriate to be planted even in high-traffic areas. Bermuda grass is also a relatively inexpensive grass seed compared to others.

– Resilient

Bermuda grass can survive high traffic without quickly wearing out. Therefore, it is often used on golf courses, athletic fields, or soccer fields.

Bermuda grass does not easily damage; when it does, it can quickly regain its health. Also, it can survive periods of drought better than any other type of grass, meaning that it is appropriate even in scorching temperatures.

– Easy to Grow

As long as you offer the proper conditions to Bermuda grass, it will take little protection to succeed. You should ensure it gets enough daylight; it is better if grown in a place with little or no shade.

Bermuda grass is known to take good care of itself. You will not be required to provide as much nourishment as with most other types of grass, and it needs less water.

– Cheap

As equated to other grass seeds, Bermuda grass is not as costly. Also, since it involves minimum protection, it will not cost as much as different grass types, necessitating more watering and fertilization.

– Durable

Bermuda grass is durable and adaptable to different types of soils. This also explains its reputation.

Bermuda grass is derived from warm areas, such as India and Africa. This means it is made to flourish in warm conditions and easily overcome scarcities.

– Resilient to Pest Damage

When it comes to Bermuda grass, you can be confident it will grow plentiful with the right light without significant issues such as pest destruction. Its defiance also means it will withstand assaults from pests quite easily without any significant consequences.

● CONS of Bermuda Grass

Despite being easy to sustain and a popular choice for various uses, Bermuda grass has some drawbacks, especially before planting.

– Ill-Fitted for Cold Weather

Bermuda grass is known for its resilience, but the truth is that it is a grass type that works much better in hot climates than in cold ones. Indeed, this grass might drop its color and lush look with several consecutive days of cold weather.

You can prevent this by over-seeding your grass before and during the winter, but if you reside in a cold climate all year, Bermuda grass might not be for you.

– Aggressive

Bermuda grass is also known as Devil’s grass because it grows quickly and extensively. If you plan to sow it on your lawn, you must keep an eye on it or spread it to flower beds, pavements, or even your neighbor’s lawn.

– Requires Mowing

Bermuda grass is easy to maintain with little care, but you will need to mow it quite frequently to avoid it growing too much and too fast because of its aggressiveness.

You might also need to apply a lawn fungus monitor to prevent it from stretching too much around your garden in places you do not want it to grow. However, you will still want to mow your lawn once a week. If you cannot cut your lawn at least once a week, you should consider planting another type of grass.

– Needs Sunlight

Bermuda grass does not necessitate much care, but if there is only one thing you should concern yourself with when planting this grass, it is sunlight.

Without enough sunlight, this grass will not stay alive, no matter how much care you put into it. With too much shade, Bermuda grass becomes thin and erratic. If you have trees or plan to plant Bermuda grass in a place with a lot of shade, consider changing the grass type.

– Susceptible to Nematode Damage

Even if some roundworms are helpful to plants, others are dangerous and might affect other plants in your garden.

To prevent a nematode assault on your lawn, modify the soil with organic stuff before sowing Bermuda grass. Examine your lawn for damage, look for dry scorches and insects frequently, and take care of the issues your lawn might have as rapidly as possible.

Grass Types and Ideal Lengths

Grass Type	Ideal Length
Kentucky bluegrass	2 – 2-1/2 inches
Perennial Ryegrass	2 – 3 inches
Fine Fescue Grass	2 – 3 inches
Tall Fescue Grass	2 – 3 inches
Bermuda grass	2 – 3 inches

Type of soil and water required for Bermuda grass

Bermuda grass grows best when soil pH is between 5.8 and 7.0, but it can withstand more acidic conditions. In fields with excessively acidic soil, regular concentrations of lime may be required to keep pH at the best possible level for nutrient accessibility.

The seeds of this grass must have a slim soil cover to develop correctly. Best practices include raking down the area you intend to seed and gently covering each seed with about ¼ inch of soil after planting the seeds.

Once sowed, rake gently over the area to stimulate improved soil connection. B Bermuda grass has a more significant growth ratio than warm-season grass. I grow in both directions with above-ground stems called stolons and below-ground stems called rhizomes.

• The Importance of Weekly Rainfall for Bermuda Grass

While its fast growth rate can make this grass challenging to control, this quality helps it sustain heavy use. A part of a lawn, Bermuda Grass requires weekly rainfall or proper irrigation to stay dark green, thick, and lush.

Typically, lawns need 1 inch of water every 7-10 days without substantial rainfall. It is essential to make sure to water intensely and infrequently. For example, apply 1 inch of water on a single day.

Throughout the fall, try to water Bermuda grass less regularly once you reach November, water the lawn only once a month, and continue with this winter pattern. In March, you can return to a regular irrigation schedule.

Best Lawnmower type for Bermuda Grass

There are two main types of mowers in the market:

• Reel mowers      
• Rotary mowers

Reel mowers have razor blades that twist perpendicularly and apply a scissoring case to cut the grass. Lf courses are commonly engraved with reel mowers, which are dragged by a tractor. A reel mower that people drive does not cut tall grass well or effortlessly.

Rotary lawnmowers mostly have a solo blade that revolves horizontally in the bottom of the mower, like the paddles of a plane. Rotary lawnmowers are the most flexible type and succeed with most grass varieties. These are safer than container mowers for cutting long and stiff grass.

• Benefits of Using a Reel Mower

If you cut your Bermuda grass regularly, a reel mower is ideal because it produces a tidier cut. They can also be easily adapted to low grass heights. Grass pieces can be left on the turf and preserved with low to normal potency levels if clipped at the appropriate height and regularity.

However, the clippings will not result in hay and will require additional traces of nutrients. Eradicate the clippings only if the quantity is so extreme that clumps are produced.

A rotary mower is probably the best option if you have a more irregular mowing schedule. I can better cope with higher Bermuda grass. And due to the broader choice of models, it is often more cost-effective.