Warm Nights Signal Time to Fertilize Bermudagrass
The weather conditions are just now getting right for Bermudagrass.
Hot Springs, Ark. – Bermudagrass needs warm days and nights.
The cool wet weather has been very hard on bermudagrass this Spring. It has been a nightmare for lawn companies and homeowners battling disease and weed control issues. Now that Arkansas’ nights are warming up, it’s time to fertilize, and hopefully control some of these problem areas.
The cool day temperatures and saturated conditions delayed greening in March and cool nights in April prevented much significant growth. Now the time we have been waiting for has arrived – warm night temperatures.
Bermudagrass, as well as other warm season grasses, needs warm day and warm night temperatures. It begins greening up after warm days, but never really produces significant growth until night temperatures are 60 degrees F for about a week or more.
The grass will try to grow on warm days, but cool nights shut down the grass’ internal machinery, negating any sustained growth.
When a string of warm nights occurs, the grass is ready to begin sustained growth. Fertilizing bermudagrass before night temperatures have reached the 60-degree mark results in lower fertilizer efficiency.”
The grass may green up but other cool season grasses and weeds will out-compete the languishing bermudagrass for the nutrients.
Remember to do soil testing to get fertilizer recommendations for your particular turfgrass. In recent years, many homeowners have neglected to apply sufficient potassium fertilizer and bermudagrass stands have thinned significantly as a result.
Apply pre-emergence herbicides to control crabgrass in late February or early March. Apply post-emergence herbicides in May as needed to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds such as knotweed, spurge and lespedeza. Products containing two or three broadleaf herbicides usually control several different broadleaf weeds in a lawn more effectively. Be sure the product is labeled for use on bermudagrass. Apply post-emergence herbicides only when weeds are present. Applying broadleaf herbicides three weeks after the lawn becomes green will help to avoid damaging the bermudagrass. See FSA2109, Home Lawn Weed Control, for more weed control information.
For more information, contact the Garland County Extension Office at 623-6841 or 922-4703, email Jimmy Driggers at jdriggers@uada.edu, or visit our website: www.uaex.uada.edu.
EHC Information
Are you interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For information on EHC call 623-6841 or 922-4703 or email jvincent@uada.edu.
Master Gardeners
If you’re interested in becoming a Master Gardener and would like more information, you’re welcome to attend their monthly meeting on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 1pm at the Elks Lodge. You may also call the Extension office on 623-6841 or 922-4703 or email abates@uada.edu.
4-H Information
We have several 4-H clubs for our Garland county youth who are 5 to 19 years old.
For more information on all the fun 4-H activities there are, call the Extension Office
at 623-6841 or 922-4703 or email Linda Bates at lbates@uada.edu.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution.
By Jimmy Driggers
County Extension Agent - Staff Chair
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Jimmy Driggers
County Extension Agent - Staff Chair
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
236 Woodbine Hot Springs AR 71901
(501) 623-6841
jdriggers@uada.edu
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative
action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need
materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other
appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons
regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin,
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other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.