Posted: 4/3/2026 12:15:57 PM EDT
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Here in AZ the weather got warm to quick and I figured i better get started on the grass in the backyard. Its bermuda grass and grew great last summer. Over the winter it went dormant. Now its warming up its been slowly going green again (I also increased the watering a few weeks back). While it looks mostly brown, there is alot of green growing...just only about an inch or so tall right now. While checking the grass, I noticed it was very....crunchy. I also remembered the last few cuttings before the end of the season last year I just cut the grass without a bag abd let the clippings go where they went. Fast forward to last weekend and I figured I had a solid inch or 2 of dead grass above the dirt. Got my dethatcher and went to town...and filled up the trash can with that much dead grass. Got up today and was going to get some soil/sand to just make sure the ground is level and throw some more seed down. But I noticed in some spots the grass is still very crunchy. Looking closer now at all these spots that are crunchy and its like the grass grew sideways and intertwined with each other. Do I need to go through those spots and dethatch them again to break it up or leave it alone? |
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Originally Posted By azmp5: Here in AZ the weather got warm to quick and I figured i better get started on the grass in the backyard. Its bermuda grass and grew great last summer. Over the winter it went dormant. Now its warming up its been slowly going green again (I also increased the watering a few weeks back). While it looks mostly brown, there is alot of green growing...just only about an inch or so tall right now. While checking the grass, I noticed it was very....crunchy. I also remembered the last few cuttings before the end of the season last year I just cut the grass without a bag abd let the clippings go where they went. Fast forward to last weekend and I figured I had a solid inch or 2 of dead grass above the dirt. Got my dethatcher and went to town...and filled up the trash can with that much dead grass. Got up today and was going to get some soil/sand to just make sure the ground is level and throw some more seed down. But I noticed in some spots the grass is still very crunchy. Looking closer now at all these spots that are crunchy and its like the grass grew sideways and intertwined with each other. Do I need to go through those spots and dethatch them again to break it up or leave it alone? Like stated by ScottsGT, bermuda is a stolon grass and that is how it grows. Give it some time to really warm up and it'll take off. You should verticut instead of dethatching; it'll still get thatch out but will cut the stolons as well. This will help thicken the turf. If the temps are warming and the bermuda is just beginning to green up, I'd say scalp it low as you can and then regularly mow one level higher than that. Keep mowing frequently at that height and feed as needed. Bermuda is a very tough grass so don't be afraid to be tough on it - it likes that. Level with sand - generally you'd wait until peak growing season. If you level too early (not sure the AZ temps but this is pretty early still) while the grass is still coming out of dormancy, you will stifle it and it will take far longer to recover. Clean mason sand without any pebbles/rocks/etc is best. Using soils, like a top soil or stuff with organic matter, it will eventually compact down into the soil and you'll have to re-level and potentially aerate. If you're new to bermuda, I would highly recommend reading https://thebermudabible.com/ Follow this, even just the basics, and your bermuda will be great. |
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Originally Posted By -Jonny-: @azmp5 How's the Bermuda coming along? Should be pretty well warmed up out there by this point I'd guess. Crap! Forgot about the update.  So i ended up chopping it down pretty good. Dethatched it a few different directions (got almost a full trash can of dead grass out . Then i got some soil and play sand and mixed it 2-1 (soil to sand) and leveled the yard and been watering pretty good. Thankful its coming back through an MUCH better now. Only place is a small 2'x3' corner that just wont grow. Im going to dig it up this weekend, see if there is anything under there and then put in new soil/seed. |