Those that live in Columbia, South Carolina have learned to embrace the heat that comes along with living in the capital city. When May comes around everyone prepares for the famously hot summer that Columbia has become known for. The heat may not be one of the things that people love about Columbia, but there is one thing it is good for… Bermuda.
Bermuda grass is a warm season species of turf grass that actually thrives in heat. In order for Bermuda grass to grow, it needs a hot environment. That is why many lawns in Columbia, South Carolina utilize this species of grass. Another benefit of a Bermuda lawn is that they require very little water. This species of grass is extremely drought tolerant and can go weeks without water without damage.
One of the biggest problems we have noticed in Columbia once mid summer arrives is some lawns loose their vivid green color. It can be a tough problem to fix if you are not familiar with more advanced lawn care techniques. In this article we will help you take the steps necessary to make sure your Bermuda lawn stays deep green all summer long. Being a warm season grass, Bermuda will eventually loose all green color in the winter months but these steps will keep your Bermuda grass looking nice and green all summer!
Why Isn’t My Bermuda Deep Green? Why is My Lawn Turning Yellow in The Summer?
If you have a Bermuda lawn and have noticed that it looses its green color during the summer time, you likely have a nitrogen deficiency. Don’t worry, this is an easy fix. Basically what is happening is your grass is running out of food. Nitrogen is the nutrient that gives plants their deep green color. When a lawn typically sucks a lot of the nitrogen out of the native soil. Eventually there will not be enough nitrogen in your soil to maintain a dee green lawn.
The solution to this is to add more nitrogen into the soil with the use of fertilizers. There are many different types of fertilizers that can be used to make your lawn look amazing all summer long. Below we will share some of our favorite fertilizers to use when maintaining one of our client’s lawns.
How To Make Your Bermuda Lawn Look More Green in Columbia, SC
There are a number of different routes you can take when fertilizing your lawn. You can find tons of fertilizing options at your local home improvement store or online. It is hard to know which ones work and which ones don’t. Pretty much any fertilizer you put down that contains nitrogen is going to help your lawn look more green. However, some definitely work better than others.
When our team services a client’s lawn our favorite fertilizer to apply is Milorganite. Milorganite is a slow release organic fertilizer that slowly releases fertilizer into the ground. The nitrogen is then absorbed through the grass’ root system which makes the grass grow greener and more healthy. Milorganite is easy to get your hands on. Most home improvement stores like Lowes, Home Depot, and ACE, carry Milorganite.
When Should I Fertilize My Bermuda Grass Lawn In Columbia, SC?
If you want to apply Milorganite or any other fertilizer to your warm season Bermuda grass lawn, it is important that you do so as soon as the grass begins to break dormancy. As soon as you see the first sprouts of fresh green blades come up amongst the dormant blades, you should spread your first batch of fertilizer. In Columbia you can expect to complete your first fertilization right around Easter as part of your spring preparation.
If it is already past Easter don’t worry, you can start fertilizing a warm season lawn at any point during the summer/ fall. The typical time frames for fertilization are ~Easter, ~Memorial Day weekend, ~Labor Day weekend, and late October. You can begin fertilizing at any one of these points. You can find some specific information about application rates on the Milorganite website. If you have any questions about keeping your Bermuda grass lawn green all summer, please comment below and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
