Bermuda or Fescue

17 years ago

I am building a new home. Love the look of bermuda in the summer, looks dead in the winter. Feel like fescue is more of a hassle with weeds. Which one is easier to maintain, please say bermuda. Also, should I do seeding or sodding?

Your opinions are welcomed

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brandon7 TN_zone7

17 years ago

Bermuda grass is my favorite plant next to poison ivy. There's just so many neat aspects of this plant, it's hard to know where to start.

First there's the beautiful brown color in winter. It makes a great seasonal indicator. If I forget what time of year it is, on an unseasonably warm winter day, one glance at my buddy Bermuda grass can quickly snap me back into reality. Besides that, who needs that drab green color on their grass.

Next is Bermuda grass's helpful ability to rid my landscape of all those unwanted flowers and shrubs. By quickly forming a strangling mat, in what seems like overnight, it can eliminate all those pesky ornamentals and fill in all those barren looking mulched areas. No barrier can stop it's noble push forward. It's sneaky persistence will overcome just about anything even if it has to run under concrete or mulch for feet.

Another of Bermuda grass's positives is its ability to thwart the efforts of those silly weed pullers. No matter how hard they try to get rid of the sprigs, the slightest little root tip can grow right back and multiply into a new stringy mass. Come to think of it, sometimes this wonderful invasive behavior reminds me of that friendly plant in the movie Little Shop of Horrors.

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Comments (9)

bigorangevol
17 years ago
WATER SAVER & SOUTHERN GOLD are great tall fescue grasses.

TIFWAY 419 BERMUDA & PATRIOT BERMUDA are excellent bermuda blends.

The Bermuda is easier to maintain from the standpoint that you aren't going to be able to stop it anyway. Why fight it?

The fescue grasses are going to be prettier but a major pain to keep everything else from creeping in to it.

The folks on the Lawn forum should be able to render much more insight than I am able.

The Water Saver is awesome though!!!
ragdollblue7
17 years ago
We have a hybrid fescue that is more drought tolerant, than the standard Kentuckey 31. We love it and do irrigate in the hot summer to keep it looking very green.

Something to consider, if you are in a subdivision, is to plant what the majority of your neighbor's have planted. The builders in our subdivision used Fescue, however, some homeowners killed it and planted Bermuda. I'd be sick if one of my neighbors decided to change over, we'd be fighting each other's grass all the time. Of course you may not have that issue where you are building.
royzda1
17 years ago
I have 2 acres of bermuda/tall fescue mix (not by choice). I despise the bermuda. I wish I could snap my fingers and it would all go away. I have to agree with brandon7's assessment, especially if you have planting beds.
tennesseevols
17 years ago
Bermuda is the best lawngrass in the world, although it is a problem if you garden and don't use raised beds.
brandon7 TN_zone7
17 years ago
Bermuda grass loves to climb into my raised beds. I hate every aspect of Bermuda grass. It's dog ugly, raises little sprigs here and there when mowed so that it looks like you missed spots, and turns brown in the winter.
decolady01
17 years ago
IMO, Bermuda grass is the scourge of the earth and I would be glad to never see it again. It makes runners, deep roots and is a horrible weed in any vegetable or flower bed it finds.

I HATE Bermuda grass.

Becky
luderiffic
8 years ago
You guys are spoiled, try living with St. Augustine. I just moved to where everybody uses Bermuda and its glorious.
midtn
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Bermuda grass sucks. Nothing more to say. Long live Fescue!!!