Southern California? You have to much more specific. I remember seeing your handle but I don't remember where you live.

If you live west of the I-5 or 405, or higher than 3,000 feet, then any grass will work. If you live east of there or lower, then you should be looking at bermuda or St Augustine. Why not zoysia? Because if something happens to it, the first thing you want to do is throw lots of water at it. That's not water smart. With the 1" height restriction, then bermuda is the only grass left. St Augustine likes it much better being mowed at 4 inches.

Really every grass should take only 1 inch of water per week in the hottest heat of summer. And as for hot I'm talking about from Pomona through Ontario, San Berdoo, Redlands, and out to Banning, then down through Hemet to Temecula, Elsinore, Corona, Chino, and back up to Pomona. All that inland area should not need more than 1 inch per week in July. If you live west of there, then it should be more like 1 inch every 10 days to 2 weeks in the summer. East of there in the low desert it would be 1 inch every 5-7 days. San Diego would be an inch every 10-14 days until you get back to Grossmont. East of there and it's back to an inch per week. And east of El Cajon it quickly gets back to an inch every 5-7 days. Marathon varieties of fescue grow only with a little more water. From what I've seen, most people seem to want to water it 1/7-inch every day to get an inch per week. That's bassackwards.

There are two kinds of bermuda: hybrid and common. Hybrid always comes by sod and common always comes by seed. If you mix the two, it can look weedy because of the different growth habits of the two. The most common, and least expensive, and yet extremely high quality is TIF 419. It should cost around $50 per pallet. The sports quality TIF varieties will cost more like $250 per pallet.

I live in Anaheim Hills, just off the 91 but before the Greenriver exit. Like I said, were up on the hill and the temperature is usually 4 or 5 degrees warmer than it is down below.
I have marathon two in the backyard, but would like to change that to Bermuda grass so I can mow it down and the kids can play on a little easier.
I have St. Augustine in the front which sits up about 3 1/2 to 4 inches and looks really nice, but it's not the greatest for kids to play on, so they stay in the backyard.
Is there a type of Bermuda grass that is better suited for my area? And do the big boxes like Lowes or Home Depot have a good quality Bermuda seed or do I need to order it online?

This post was edited by SoCalDawg on Sat, Sep 20, 14 at 19:48

You could dig it all up next spring and get some Tifway sod from a Co. out in Nuevo, past Perris. Then, you'd have the best looking lawn in the neighborhood. A lot of work to prepare for it, but it sure looks good.

I remember you now. Thanks.

Yes the TIF 419 sod is what you want if you want a nice looking turf that you can mow down to an inch (or even lower with a reel mower). It used to be in the $250 per pallet range when I was a kid, but it is so mass produced now that it is half the price of a pallet of St Augustine. Sod can be put down any time of year - even when the sod is dormant. That is not great if kids will be playing on it when it is dormant and not firmly growing in the soil.

If you want seed, you'll be getting a variety of common bermuda. There is no seed variety of TIF. Common bermuda can be mowed down to 1.5 inches. It will never look like a putting green, but it is cheap to install. You cannot seed bermuda this time of year. It has to be done when the soil is hot. For you that would be late May at the very earliest. If you go the seed route, seed with a mixture of Yukon, Riviera, and Princess 77 at a rate of 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet. You can find seed online through Douglass King Seeds on their website at dkseeds.com.

Here are the general guidelines for bermuda as reinterpreted from The Bermuda Bible

Every month during the growing season
Fertilize with a high N fertilizer

Every week during the growing season
Water a full inch, all at one time
Mulch mow 2x at about 2 inches high