It is a perfect time to plant Bermuda seed, the window is open up til mid July. The problem or your challenge is going to be water. Do you have an irrigation system and can you use it without restrictions? It is going to take a lot of water in this heat.

More like too dry unfortunately. Be prepared for expensive water bill as I've found out 5 years when starting a new lawn in the middle of the summer which happened to be during severe drought in Dallas area if you remember that time...

ya i have a sprinkler system and i have it working. i can only set it for 3 times a day what would you recommend i set it to time wise. and if i dont plant seed now when would be the next good time? thanks for your input..

I was thinking, ya i know bad idea, when you say it will cost a lot to water do you have any idea. I'm kind of on a tight budget. Again thanks for your input...

dan

i can only set it for 3 times a day what would you recommend
Well then 3 times a day then. It does not need to run very long, 10 15 minutes. You do not need the area soaked, just keep the seed bed moist.

if i don't plant seed now when would be the next good time?
Well you will not like this answer. Next May or June. The planting window for Bermuda grass is a fairly narrow window of opportunity. In Spring you have to wait until the soil temps get up to 70 degrees which depending on where you live will vary from mid April to June. Or when daytime temps are consistently in or above mid 80's, and nights in the 60's.

However you cannot wait to long after conditions are right because you need enough time for the grass to establish itself before winter dormancy period.

So if you are going to do this, you have to do it now or wait til next year.

hmm... thanks Texas-weed ... sounds like i will have the some issue, money and water, I will go ahead and plant this weekend with the Sahara seed and turn on the system to water for 10min at 8am, 12pm, 5pm and take a look at it in the evening and see if it need one more. Should i put down any fertilizer when i seed?

again thanks
Dan

I think you can safely put down "Starter fertilizer" at half the bag rate now.... then again after a month of growth...

After you get the seed down -- dig up a soil sample for a soil analysis at your local University Ag Extension office... You need to know what amendments the soil needs to raise healthy grass... You will have all summer to work on that stuff...

Thanks

John

sounds good, any idea about how much a soil analysis costs?

thanks
Dan

Usually pretty cheap, but I don't know exactly what they cost out there in TX.... This spring I did one here at the Clemson extension office... Cost me a whopping $6.00 Turnaround time was 2 weeks.

Basically, you dig dirt a small shovel full of a couple areas in your yard and mix them together in a bucket. Then take a Ziploc sandwich bag full of dirt with you to the extension office for test.

Use the rest for a "Structure test" - the one where you put dirt in a mayonnaise jar, fill it with water and shake it up, then watch how it settles out to check out the soil make up.

Thanks

John

I live in Fort Worth. I would wait until after we finally get a little decent rain, probably from a hurricane wandering up this way about the middle of August to the middle of September. You do NOT want to pay the bill for the amount of water it would take to water new seedlings in July.

I would wait until after we finally get a little decent rain, probably from a hurricane wandering up this way about the middle of August to the middle of September.
You cannot wait that long to plant Bermuda seed. Not enough time left in the growing season for it to get established.

You cannot wait until August. Bermuda that is not mature enough will die in the winter. Plant now. Water often to keep it moist. It doesn't need soaking. Just don't let it dry out completely. Be patient.

I'd do it now. Rain are coming!

Now is already on the late side of "OK" for this seeding Bermuda this season...

As others have stated -- you may be righ on the hairy edge of too late into the season before you risk potentially loosing it all to winter kill....

You may want to consider Sod at least for the sunny parts in the front yard (Around the driveway and walkways up to the house)... Tif 419 Bermuda sod is a great choice... It is also the cheapest sod you can buy in many areas -- I priced it locally at $125/pallet... It takes the same maintenance as any other "Lawn Quality Bermuda" but it is very good for winter tolerance, spreads like crazy, and it looks like a beautiful green carpet when you do your part.

That would get you some instant yard -- and let you take your time getting the rest of the lawn sorted out.

Thanks

John

well i went and planted the grass lets hope for some more rain... thanks for all the help...

Dan

I wish i would have read this a week ago figured i would share.

George Toma said

pre-germinate grass seed

"is take a pound of seed to a pint of water, put it in a plastic bag, shake it up and then put it in the refrigerator."week later with little white roots beginning to show from the seeds. "Scratch up the dirt," Toma advises, "mix the seed with a little fertilizer or sand and put it on the bare spots. The biggest mistake the homeowner makes is that he fertilizes the wrong time of year. It's O.K. to throw a little on in the spring, but you do the real fertilizing job in the fall."

I don't think that applies to Bermuda. How do you spread wet, soggy seed over an area of 5000 sq. feet?

That quote is specifically aimed at cool season grasses.... Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue, Bentgrass, etc...
The idea is to green up the cool season grass for good winter color and to have a good fresh start in early spring.....

Bermuda isn't a cool season grass... It's a hot season grass that goes dormant after the 1st hard frost.... You do NOT want to fertilize within 1-month of the 1st frost... and no fertilizer till it starts greening up in Summer...

Want Healthy Bermuda... Follow the Bermuda Bible...

If you follow directions for Cool Season Grasses... You will end up with slow growing, weedy, patchy, apple green/yellow/brown, diseased Bermuda grass...

Thanks

John

wrager, follow the link it talks about how they do it, if nothing else its interesting.

John, Bermuda Bible lol, i goggle it and there it was, thanks for info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nitty Gritty Dirt Man