Bluemuda

Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, Centipede, Bahia, Paspalum, etc
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GreatPlainsTurf
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Bluemuda

Post by GreatPlainsTurf » August 18th, 2017, 8:28 am

I've been reading about a growing trend recently among sports field managers and golf courses in the transition zone where they are interseeding HGT Kentucky Bluegrass into their Bermudagrass to achieve a permanent year round color and quality. It's being done already from Oklahoma to Virginia. It sound like a great idea, with KBG's ability to go summer dormant when dry and recover very well, it seems like a good fit. Has anyone seen this? Thinking about trying it in my father in laws lawn, he has Bermudagrass.

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Dchall_San_Antonio
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » August 18th, 2017, 11:25 am

I would think the tall KBG in the spring would inhibit the return of the dormant bermuda even to the point where the bermuda would suffer greatly the rest of the year.

GreatPlainsTurf
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by GreatPlainsTurf » August 18th, 2017, 5:17 pm

I think that it should to be mowed fairly low. In my opinion if there is full turf, who cares if it's not full Bermuda in mid summer. As long as when one grass fades for any reason the other comes on and takes over should be fine. Trust me you can never get rid of Bermuda. Its a battle every year for me.

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andy10917
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by andy10917 » August 18th, 2017, 5:31 pm

I've been reading about a growing trend recently among sports field managers and golf courses in the transition zone where they are interseeding HGT Kentucky Bluegrass into their Bermudagrass to achieve a permanent year round color and quality.
Links to the articles?

Green
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by Green » August 18th, 2017, 5:46 pm

Sounds like a good idea on paper...going more with nature, rather than against it by trying to eliminate a certain species. I wonder how it would actually work in a lawn.


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andy10917
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by andy10917 » August 18th, 2017, 5:51 pm

Exactly!! Nature loves diversity, but diversity isn't always pretty in lawns and gardens.

GreatPlainsTurf
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by GreatPlainsTurf » August 18th, 2017, 6:09 pm

andy10917 wrote:
August 18th, 2017, 5:31 pm
I've been reading about a growing trend recently among sports field managers and golf courses in the transition zone where they are interseeding HGT Kentucky Bluegrass into their Bermudagrass to achieve a permanent year round color and quality.
Links to the articles?
http://www.barusa.com/professional-turf ... rticle.htm
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/e671bc_9 ... 916bc7.pdf
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/e671bc_a ... 81f400.pdf
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/e671bc_f ... 02127e.pdf

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by ken-n-nancy » August 18th, 2017, 6:21 pm

I'm curious as to which article(s) the original poster is referring as my google-fu couldn't turn up one that I was confident covered exactly the situation described. However, the below article is in the ballpark... ;)

Managing sports turf in the transition zone

And a slide deck by Brian Winka:

Managing High Use Athletic Fields in the Transition Zone.

GreatPlainsTurf
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by GreatPlainsTurf » August 18th, 2017, 6:33 pm

This presentation is also has good information

https://www.gcsaa.tv/webinars/sponsored/view.php?id=347

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probasesteal
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by probasesteal » August 31st, 2017, 9:32 am

I read this thread a few days ago and while getting lunch the other day noticed how nice the grass looked on the Quad (Wake Forest University). Upon further inspection I noticed it was a mix of common bermuda and fescue.
I think if you don't mind an uneven look and color/texture variance these two grasses can co-exist to be tough dense turf.
If it were me doing this though, I would certainly use hybrid bluegrass as it is somewhat of a lighter green and spreads more aggressively (supposedly) compared to traditional KBG. There are a lot of bermuda cultivars and you would need to decide seed, sod, plug or sprig for establishment. I also think you would need to establish the warm season turf first

PW405
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by PW405 » September 9th, 2017, 7:29 pm

Very interesting, I may give this a try instead of overseeding bermuda with Rye grass.

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Re: Bluemuda

Post by PW405 » September 10th, 2017, 10:36 pm

probasesteal wrote:
August 31st, 2017, 9:32 am
I read this thread a few days ago and while getting lunch the other day noticed how nice the grass looked on the Quad (Wake Forest University). Upon further inspection I noticed it was a mix of common bermuda and fescue.
I think if you don't mind an uneven look and color/texture variance these two grasses can co-exist to be tough dense turf.
If it were me doing this though, I would certainly use hybrid bluegrass as it is somewhat of a lighter green and spreads more aggressively (supposedly) compared to traditional KBG. There are a lot of bermuda cultivars and you would need to decide seed, sod, plug or sprig for establishment. I also think you would need to establish the warm season turf first
This is another idea that I've considered. Once section of my lawn has a very coarse fescue variety, it grows great all year, but during summer, the bermuda creeps in and all around, but the fescue never has a problem. I think the bermuda helps to keep it shaded and keeps the soil cool during the 100° months. Surprisingly, it never appears to have any disease pressure either, even though I fertilize it pretty heavily in the hot, hot months. This is very old fescue that isn't the best texture, very clumpy and wide blades. I wonder if a newer tall fescue cultivar would mix in with bermuda a little better? Anybody up for a "scientific-ish" experiment?

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probasesteal
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Re: Bluemuda

Post by probasesteal » September 12th, 2017, 3:26 pm

I'll certainly follow.

I have a reno of hybrid KBG and fescue growing (day 29), it looks good, but I see common bermuda in it that is thriving from the water and fertilizer (aggressive stolon spreading).

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