How to Thicken Bermuda Grass and make Bermuda Grass Dark Green [Step by Step Guide]

Do you ever look out at your yard and wonder How to Thicken Bermuda Grass and make it greener? If you are here, you probably are, and to your luck, we have all the tips needed by lawn owners for a thicker, fuller, and greener Bermuda grass.

Typically, a lawn covered by thin Bermuda grass may be due to reasons like poor drainage, lack of nutrients, not enough sunlight, etc. In today’s post, we will address all these issues. With all the tips provided, you will be able to fill in the bare spots on your lawn and get a dark green turf.

Let us get started!

How to Make Bermuda Grass Thicker and Dark Green?

For all those wanting to know how to make Bermuda grass dark green and thick, doing so is pretty simple. You just have to take the right care of your lawn and maintain it well. To make the process easier, make sure to start early – as soon as you plant Bermuda seeds.

Here are some top tips you can follow for a thicker and healthier yard:

• Mow Your lawn Regularly

After you have planted Bermuda seeds and you see the grass growing, one thing that is crucial for its growth is mowing. It is especially true if you are trying to grow a thicker lawn. However, make sure you do not mow young Bermuda grass as there is proper root anchorage then. Mowing in such a case will only lead to reduced growth of the grass.

Now, let us tell you the exact reason why you need to mow your lawn regularly (at least twice per week and at a low height of one inch). When you mow your lawn, it causes the Bermuda grass to grow well, and it spreads laterally wide and not vertically. This makes it thicker and fuller, making it appear dark green.

Further, to mow the grass at a low height of one inch, you will need to use the right mower. In order to choose an ideal lawn mower, make sure to look for one that produces a clean cut. Also, remember that mowing should be followed by watering the lawn, which is our next tip for how to make Bermuda grass thicker.

• Provide Your Lawn with Adequate Water

This tip on how to thicken Bermuda grass and make it greener may come as a surprise to many. After all, this kind of grass is considered drought-tolerant. However, you should know that without enough water, it cannot grow well. An inadequate amount of water is sure to slow the growth of Bermuda drastically, thereby resulting in a thin-looking lawn.

Therefore, always make sure to provide enough water to your lawn. Here is what you need to keep in mind:

• Always make sure to water the grass at least twice per week.
• If your water sprinkler delivers 1 inch of water in an hour, you should water the lawn for 30 to 40 minutes twice per week.
• Choose deep watering over watering daily for a shorter period. Doing so will saturate the soil, which results in better root growth, and thereby a thicker and dark green lawn.
• Provide 1 to two inches of water to promote a fuller lawn. Also, make sure to do so in the morning to prevent evaporation that can starve the Bermuda grass.

• Feed Your Lawn with Fertilizer

Our next tip on how to thicken Bermuda grass and make it greener is to feed the soil with fertilizer. We all know that Bermuda grows well in spring and early summer. So, make sure to plant it way before this season – preferably late spring. Then, during the growing period, make sure to feed the lawn soil with enough fertilizer for a beautiful lush green look.

In order to decide what fertilizer you must use, do a soil test and find the low-level nutrient. As per it, adequately provide the soil with NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) fertilizer. Typically, their ratio of 4:1:2 or 16:4:8 is the best suited for thicker and dark green Bermuda grass.

Applying adequate fertilizer will not only ensure that Bermuda grass has enough nutrients to grow but will also keep it away from diseases. Further, doing so also stops the growth of weeds. Another issue that can be tackled by providing enough fertilizer is thinning out of Bermuda grass when there is drought.

• Use Pre-Emergent Weed Herbicide

Another thing that you need to take care of if you are wondering how to make Bermuda grass dark green quickly is the growth of weeds. Usually, if your lawn has weeds, there are sure to be signs of thinning and patchiness of Bermuda grass. In case you notice the growth of weeds in bare patches every year, you will need a pre-emergent weed herbicide.

This should be applied in spring to prevent the germination of weeds. Further, in case the weed infestation is heavy, one can also use the pre-emergent weed herbicide every 60 to 90 days. With this, you will be able to stop the growth of weeds early enough and thereby get a thicker and greener lawn easily.

• Use Post-Emergent Weed Herbicide for Visible Weeds

The above tip on how to thicken Bermuda grass and make it greener was for the times when there is no weed in your lawn. However, what if you can already see some weeds growing? If this is the scenario, a post-emergent weed herbicide will come to your rescue. You can also simply uproot the weeds. However, the former method is far easier.

When you use a post-emergent herbicide, do not apply it all over the lawn. Instead, put it only on the affected areas and spots. It will help you get rid of the grown weeds in the spots and give away space for Bermuda grass to grow out thicker and greener.

• Overseed Your Lawn to Fill in Bare Spots

The next thing you can do for a thicker and dark green Bermuda grass is overseeding your lawn. Overseeding is an efficient way to ensure that there are no bare spots and the grass grows thicker, faster, and greener. If you are wondering when is the best time to do so, we suggest you overseed Bermuda grass when the growing season is underway – in spring.

Further, when the grass grows, follow the same process of mowing and watering regularly. Here too, make sure to wait two to three weeks before you mow as the young grass seedlings do not have a very strong root system. After that, mow normally. Doing so will ensure that your garden has no bare spots and will result in thicker Bermuda grass that appears dark green.

• Avoid Too Much Shade

Even after everything you do to maintain your Bermuda grass, it isn’t growing well; sunlight may be the problem. You must know that just like the grass needs sufficient water and frequent mowing, it needs adequate sunlight too. Therefore, consider how much shade is in your yard and how much direct sunlight your grass is getting.

If the shade is too much, try to get rid of it. Trim down all the big trees that block direct access to sunlight. Also, try getting rid of all other structures hindering the sunlight coming to the lawn. Once you are able to do so and the grass gets enough sunlight, it is sure to grow thicker and dark green in color.

• Start Aerating Your Lawn Early

You may have often been advised to aerate your yard during early summer or late spring. The advice is correct. However, for Bermuda grass, we suggest you do so as soon as the grass starts turning green. Doing so will promote even thicker, stronger, and faster growth. 

Typically, you can aerate the soil when the grass is still short – generally after scalping. Aeration also depends on the soil type in your lawn. For instance, if it has clayey soil or any soil type that is hard-packed, aeration should be started very early for proper water penetration and better nutrition.

• Balance the Lawn Soil pH

The next tip on how to thicken Bermuda grass and make it greener is to maintain its pH. You can easily get an at-home kit to check it. Typically, the grass type grows best in soil varieties with pH between 5.8 and 7. So, if the pH is below 5.8 (acidic), use lime to reduce the acidity. Once you balance the pH, your lawn is sure to thrive again and become lush green. 

Final Thoughts

To conclude, your answer for how to thicken Bermuda grass and make it greener is pretty simple. You only need to sow the seeds at the right time, and once the grass begins to appear, look after it well. For this, steps like mowing, frequent watering, getting rid of weeds, and feeding fertilizer are very important. Also, make sure to treat lawn diseases in time, and you are sure to get a lawn that looks lush green and thicker.