Bahia Grass

Bahia grass is a warm season course grass that grows well along the southern coastline, in Florida and southern California. This grass is normally grown from seed or sod and possesses excellent tolerance to drought, insect and disease infestations. It is normally light green in color, but will turn several shades darker when fertilizer is applied. It grows vigorously and may require more frequent mowing than other warm season grasses during the summer months. It grows very well on sandy or infertile soils, but will not perform well if the soil is too acidic.

It’s advantage as a warm season grass is in its’ ability to withstand drought conditions and the fact that it is not prone to die-back caused by insects or disease. Establishing a lawn or pasture is a bit slower than most and will take several months to produce an excellent ground cover, but once established it is durable and will withstand moderate traffic. Bahia grass is a bit unusual in that it’s root system may extend seven to nine feet into the ground. This characteristic is what provides it with it’s exceptional drought resistance. Another advantage of Bahia grass is that it grows as well in the shade as it does in full sun.

A properly maintained Bahia lawn will generally crowd out weeds which is the preferred method of weed control as Bahia grass does not respond well to herbicides often used to control unwanted intrusions. The fact is that weed control herbicides may in fact kill or retard healthy Bahia grass growth so one should be judicious in herbicide applications. If a Bahia turf begins to become a little yellow it is a sign that an iron nutrient needs to be added to the soil. This generally will occur during the spring or fall and an application of this element will return the grass to a pleasing light green color.

As with other grasses there are several varieties of Bahia grass that have been developed to suit local climatic conditions. The Argentine variety is well suited for growth in the deep south while the Pensacola variety is generally suited to regions further north which may be susceptible to frost or cool spells.

The Bahia grasses are great choices for areas where warmer season grasses thrive and will provide a lush covering of turf.

Comments

  1. Richard Sandy says

    Is Bahia grass suitable for Pasadena, CA. If so, which type is best and why. Thanks very much for your time.

  2. michael sim says

    i want to kill all bahia grass in my yard to all my other grass to grow. what is a product that i can get to help me to get this done. thank -worn out blades ,louisiana.

  3. Lucrettia Stuber says

    What type of fertilizer do I use on new argentine bahai grass?

  4. We have new sod of pensicola bahiagrass and its growing fine, except for a few sparse places. We have planted seedin those areas and we would like to knowhow long it will be before the seed germinates? Thank you.
    Joan in Homosassa Florida.

  5. So what is the best weed killer to use for behiagress .
    show you bag first cut after sodding.
    when should make your first cut.

  6. So what is the best weed killer to use on behiagress .
    should you bag first cut after sodding.
    when should you make your first cut. after sodding

  7. Can someone tell me how to get rid of the bahia grass in my yard? It would be ok if it wasn’t for the long spikey things sticking up the next day after mowing. It really requires mowing every few days. It’s a pain.

    Thank you

  8. I live in SC and the SCDOT plants bahia along the roadsides. Of course the seeds get on the mower and it’s carried in the yard. It’s the worst grass I’ve ever seen. Like Jan said, in order to keep your lawn looking good, it would need to be mowed every 2-3 days. Stay away from bahai grass. Centipede is the way to go.

  9. Best cheap and also affordable weed killer for bahia is vinegar worked well on my lawn in east coast florida also watering twice a day every other day and a fertilizer from ace was applied. My lawn can content with any SA laen for dark green color all at a fraction of the cost!! Im not a professional this just works for me 🙂

    Att

  10. SA Lawn* also bagged first cut and left clippings on lawn aftet that. If fertilizing try to plan to spread it on dry so it doesnt stick to wet grass…that was my first mistake! Big no no! Hope this helps!