We bought our current house in September of 2013. One of the neighbors told me the previous owner had sodded the front yard with a Tif grass, but wasn't specific as to which type. I treated it like Common Bermuda last summer and mowed it at 2" - 2.5".

This year I've been cutting it closer to 1", but it isn't as thick as I would like it to be. I was putting down 1" of water once a week, but read that shorter turf in TX did better with more frequent watering so I am watering 1" every 4 days.

About two weeks ago, I noticed a small patch (6' diameter) of what appears to be Common Bermuda spreading out in a low area of the yard. It is lighter green and has a coarser stem and blades. It also is much thicker and growing more horizontally than the rest of the grass.

I'm hoping that someone can help me identify these two types of grass. Also, should I consider raising the mower height? Due to general bumpiness in the yard, I get these brown spots every time I mow, and I'm assuming it's slight scalping. I am currently mowing about every 5 days, so more frequent mowing might also alleviate this.

I will post pictures in subsequent posts.