How To Get Bermuda Grass to Grow in Bare Spots?

If you are here, you probably can spot bare spots in your lawn that need repair. To your luck today, we are here to answer the most important questions when it comes to bare spots – how to get Bermuda grass to grow in bare spots and get a lush green lawn.

Bald spots in a beautiful yard can make its appearance dull and gloomy. While good maintenance of the lawn can help you avoid it, what if you can already see them on your lawn? It may be due to an overactive dog sitting out all summer or just the fact that your Bermuda grass is not spreading properly.

Whatever be the case, we have all the tips you need to help Bermuda grass to grow in bare spots. By the end of this post, you are sure to know all you need to fill up those bare spots and get a lush green, beautiful lawn. Let the scrolling begin!

Tips To Get Bermuda Grass to Grow in Bare Spots

Without wasting any time, let us discuss the most crucial topics of today’s post – How to get Bermuda grass to grow in empty spots? The following tips will help you get an answer to this. Have a look:

You can also know how to grow Bermuda Grass in shade here.

• Clean the Entire Area Thoroughly

Firstly, to fill in the bare spots on your lawn, you need to make sure that they are clean. For it, start with removing all the visible things you can see like rocks, sticks, dead clumps of grass, and any other debris. If needed, you can also replace the debris-filled soil with fresh soil.

Usually, this does the job well. However, keep in mind that this can take some time. Then, once the bare spots are clear of all this, move on to the next step of taking care of the weeds that are present in the area or can grow anytime soon.

• Get Rid of Present and Emerging Weeds

If the bare spots in your lawn are free from any weeds, you might want to use pre-emergent weed herbicide. Typically, you should use this thrice a year on your bermudagrass if your fertilizer does not already have pre-emergent properties. This herbicide will ensure that no new weeds sprout and spread on your lawn.

When using a pre-emergent weed herbicide, make sure not to aerate or cultivate the bare area for a few days as it can disturb the chemical actions of the herbicide. After that, you can carry all the activities on the lawn normally. Now, let us move on to another probability – when your lawn already has existing weeds in the bare spots.

In such a case, if you want to know how to get Bermuda grass to grow in empty patches, the first step is to get rid of these weeds. If there are not many weeds, you can manually pull them out. However, if that is not possible, there is another way. You can apply post-emergent weed killers to the patches with weeds.

This method of getting rid of the pre-existent weeds is the best way to kill them fast and easily. However, before you use the weed killer, there are certain things you need to take care of. Start with accessing the weed situation in your yard. For it, you can make a rough draft to identify weed zones, and the kind of weeds thriving in them.

This way, you will know how to use the herbicide well. Where the weeds are sparse, you can continue with spot spraying only. On the other hand, for the bare spots with a lot of weeds, blanket spraying of the post-emergent is a good idea. Also, make sure that the spray you are using actually is for the kind of weeds in the area.

• Fertilize the Soil

After you are done with loosening 2 inches of soil and removing weeds and other debris in the soil, it is time to take care of the soil. For it, compost the soil and use a rake to work the compost in. Also, we suggest the use of starter fertilizer if the soil lacks certain minerals and nutrients. A 5-10-5 starter fertilizer may work the best for you.

It is because this kind of fertilizer encourages strong root development and vigorous growth. This in turn will ensure that the bare spots get filled quickly. Not only this, with the right kind of nutrients in the soil, the grass is sure to be thicker, fuller, and dark green. Feeding the soil with fertilizer is certainly the best way to avoid bare spots and get a beautiful lush green lawn.

• Avoid Seeding the Bare Spots

Often, lawn owners with bare spots wonder if it is a good idea to seed their lawn. If you think that your solution for how to get Bermuda grass to grow in bare spots is seeding the spots, you might be wrong. We would not suggest you seed your Bermuda lawn if it is thin or has bare spots. It is because the grass that will grow from the seed will not match the already cultivated variety.

Instead, make sure that the grass already present gets an adequate amount of care, nutrients, sunlight, and water. With this, Bermuda is sure to spread fast and fill the bare spots on its own. In case it doesn’t work, consider seeding the bare spots. For it, sprinkle the seeds in the spots in perpendicular rows and take care of them well.

• Water The Lawn Regularly

If you are seeding the bare spots, mist the seeded area immediately. While water is crucial for the seeds, avoid too much of it as it can dislodge the seeds. Until the seedlings emerge, keep the area moist. In general, too, Bermuda requires a good amount of water to grow well. Therefore, to make sure there are no bare spots anymore, water the lawn regularly.

Even when the grass is green and actively growing, it will need 1 inch of water per week. Further, when the temperatures rise, it may need as much as 2 inches per week. One thing you must know here is that in times of extreme drought, even this grass variety can go dormant. Due to this survival mechanism, it may appear dead but it is not.

With ample watering, it is sure to green up and resume growth in the warmer months. While watering the lawn, make sure the soil is well-drained as standing water can harm Bermuda. You can try the Tuna Can Trick for this. Instead of shallow frequent watering, water the lawn infrequently but deeply.

In order to determine the right amount of water, place a tuna can in the sprinkler zone. Note the time the empty can takes to fill up. This is how long you need to run the irrigation for Bermuda to grow well and cover the bare spots. Along with this, also keep in the mind the time of day you water the lawn. Do it early in the morning rather than afternoon or evening.

• Mow The Lawn Low and Often

The last tip we have for today is to mow the lawn regularly. Typically, you need to maintain your Bermuda lawn at a height between .75” and 1.5”. If your Bermuda grass is young, do not mow it as it does not have proper root anchorage which can lead to reduced growth.

Once the grass grows, mow it at least twice per week and at a low height of one inch. It will let the grass spread laterally than vertically, thereby covering all the bare spots in the lawn. In order to mow Bermuda at one inch, use the right kind of mower that produces a clean cut.

Why Is Your Bermuda Grass Not Spreading to Bare Spots?

If despite following the above tips your Bermuda grass isn’t spreading to the bare spots, it may be due to the following:

• It is not getting adequate sunlight or you may be overwatering the lawn.
• You need to check your soil for issues and if it is getting enough fertilizer.
• Bermuda is a southern grass and doesn’t grow well in your area.
• You need to be patient as Bermuda takes a couple of weeks to spread perfectly.

Final Thoughts

So, this is all you need to know for how to get Bermuda grass to grow in bare spots. We hope you were able to find out what you are dealing with and what measures you need to take for your Bermuda lawn to appear fuller, thicker, and greener.