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sconti_95

Weeds/Bahia grass

sconti_95
16 years ago

I need advice on how to eliminate/control weeds in my bahia lawn. I have a lawn service, but the tech told me there was nothing available that would kill the weeds without also damaging the bahia. With that strategy, my lawn will eventually become all weed. Is there any product available that will kill/control the weeds, but not damage the bahia grass. He fertilizes and controls the insects, but no remedy for the weeds. Never heard of that. Is he correct or do I need a new lawn service. Thank You !!

Comments (22)

  • quirkyquercus
    16 years ago

    For the most part that is correct. Many of the consumer products say not to use on bahia or that the stuff is designed to kill bahia as it is considered a weed for the rest of planet earth. What type of weeds are you trying to kill?

    Please don't take this the wrong way as I am often criticized for being overly critical of bahia, but it's time to consider removal and planting something more desirable for a home lawn. Especially if you are concerned about weeds and overall appearance. Bahia has a very open habit and is prone to getting many broadleaf weeds.

    Bahia will spread very aggresively on it's own and compete with weeds but it still has an open habit. ORdinarily some might suggest using fertilizer to promote top growth and density but you have to be extremely careful with fertilizer and bahia as that will injure it too.

    Killing bahia is next to impossible by the way but it can be injured and stunned. But it will most likely come back. It takes some really high powered stuff and multiple applications to kill bahia.

  • sconti_95
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Appreciate the post. I don't like Bahia either, but it is what the builder put in the back yard. We have water restrictions in Tampa, Fl. and the new code calls for no installation of an irrigation system for lawn water in back yards. As a result, they place Bahia. My St Augustine in the front and both sides is irrigated and is great. Not sure how long we are going to be in the house and didn't want to go to the expense of cutting out the Bahia and having an irrigation system and St. Augustine placed. Homeowners can install irrigation, builders of new homes cannot. Guess I will just hand pull the weeds. Again thanks for the post.

  • quirkyquercus
    16 years ago

    There are other grasses you can used besides bahia. And in fact the state (some agencies) have also spoken out against the use of bahia because it is an invasive species. This means it is escaping cultivation and spreading on its own into natural habitat areas and choking out or displacing native vegetation. It requires a lot of mowing also. Make no mistake about it, bahia is not used for it's drought tolerance. It is used because builders in florida are a breed of cheap like none other.

    If you are happy with it, don't let me talk you out of it but it is reasons like this not being able to easily deal with weeds that makes it unsuitable for residential yards.

  • sconti_95
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    quirkyquercus: Thank you again for your post. I hear where you are coming from and appreciate your candidness. I take a lot of pride in my shrubbery and lawn, but am disappointed with the back yard (Bahia). Not sure what direction I am going to go with the back yard, but you have answered my question and just need to think about it some more. My only two choices are to live with it or remove/replace. As for cheap builders in Florida, not their cost, but materials and labor used, this is the last house I will ever build in Florida. Thanks again.

  • quirkyquercus
    16 years ago

    That's what I said when I lived in florida. If you're new to florida and caring for dealing with bahia, give it until next summer during the rainy season when that stuff grows 2" a day and it's 95 degrees outside with 80% humidty. There's no way to make bahia look nice. I replaced mine with bermuda which is a relatively uncommon grass in florida but cross over into georgia and it's everywhere you look. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

  • ronalawn82
    16 years ago

    sconti 95, the short answer to your question is you 'need a new lawn service'. There are products which will control almost all broad-leaf weeds (and some grasses also) in bahia turf. The problem is that they are available only to 'professional' applicators. There are good reasons for this action. I will leave you two quotes from people who have made it their business to investigate these things.
    "Bahia is more forgiving of weed control mistakes than St. Augustine".
    "The most effective chemical for weed control in Bahia is deadly to St. Augustine".

  • rdaystrom
    16 years ago

    ronalawn82, Cimarron by Dupont will control Bahia grass in St. Augustine. A 2oz. bottle will cover 6 acres. Primarily marketed for pastures.

  • botanical_bill
    16 years ago

    Try sedgehammer, it worked great on my lawn in fort myers, it kills more than just sedge and my bihia looks great. I noticed results in about 3 days after spraying. If you have crab grass, try using pure vinager on it, it works wonders.

    You can find this stuff on ebay and other sites.

  • giventake
    16 years ago

    quirkyquercus I appreciate your frankness, in all your post, you have a lot of half truths down pat, Haveing lived in Fl. 50+ years the builders could give a rats A less what something cost, it's the consumer that wants champaign for the cost of beer, so they get seduced, as for the guy dying in Tpa. go back to where you came from and take all your kin with ya :) Trading bahia for bermuda (what a joke)get the stinking SA and be done with it/

  • quirkyquercus
    16 years ago

    Half truths?

    Please expound.

    That was the biggest run-on sentence I've ever seen and I can't really understand it. Although I have noted that your reply offered nothing in terms of help to the OP but was instead merely a rude petty criticism.

  • giventake
    16 years ago

    Your right! Just ignore what I typed. It would be easier to find out if I can remove my comment. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

  • gcohen6
    9 years ago

    I used Momentum (Lesco) and it killed all the weeds Scotts +2 didn't (and it didn't kill much) .

    The only thing it doesn't kill is Green Kyllinga and the crappy Bermuda grass that grows like a weed down here in FL.

  • tech biker
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Holy thread revival!

    Bahia is an invasive scourge that deserves to be eliminated from the home lawn except where water is unavailable. Unless mowed frequently, the seed heads are unsightly. It also grows in an open habit and permits an invasion of weeds. The Bahia also tends to "escape" and starts taking over the neighborhood. Dallisgrass, Bahia's cousin is practically devouring North Texas.

    At least St. Augustine is native! If you'd like to stay within the Paspalum family, I would consider Seashore Paspalum. Seashore is native to the US too.

  • Stephen N
    6 years ago

    I stumbled onto this website and this topic on Bahia. First thing that I noticed is that quirkyquercus doesn't know the first thing about Bahia. It can make a great lawn in Florida and there are weed controls in the marketplace that will kill weeds and not the Bahia grass. quirkyquercus .. please do your research and stop spreading false information about Bahia.

  • Yvonne A
    6 years ago

    Steve, you mentioned there are weed controls in the market for Bahia grass. What's it called? Where can I find it? I'm drowning in weeds.

  • Marvin
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Good information funkiestoyster, Bahia always gets a bad wrap, but when properly cared for is a much better lawn than st. Aug. softer of your feet, less Maintenance, less water, less insects, you name it. AND, there are products that treat weeds in Bahia, Basagran T&O is great for controlling broad leafs and sedge and will not harm bahia. You people on here are getting wrong info. Talk to a real lawn care professional with a state certified “ lawn and ornamental” operators license, and if they tell you different, then they are just being lazy and don’t want to spend the extra money on getting the right selective herbicide for your Bahia lawn because most of their customers have st. Aug.

  • Donald Gunn
    5 years ago

    I have Argentine Bahia in my large front yard that I planted from seed (Hancock Seed near Dade City, FL) that looks beautiful. I just installed an irrigation system after six years and can't wait to see the results on my Bahia considering it has done very well without any external water and just a little fertilizer. It does require a lot of mowing in the summer; I mow mine on the highest setting as the taller grass helps shade out the broadleaf weeds. Bahia requires a good lawnmower as it is much tougher than St. Augustine and it only thrives in full sunlight. I'm plugging St. Augustine in my partial shade areas and looking at native groundcovers for my deep shade area. I've watched friends who live under the watchful eyes of overbearing Homeowners' Associations spend thousands re-sodding diseased St. Augustine lawns and otherwise keeping up with high maintenance lawns. I only wish Bahia would work across my entire yard.

  • George Loveland
    5 years ago

    Pay attention to Funkie, 15 years with 2 1/2 acres agrees completely. Some of the others are just plain wrong.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    5 years ago

    I might point out that Bahia grass is NOT native to Florida.....it has naturalized and does well in that climate but it is not a native species.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    5 years ago

    As long as we're picking nits, St Augustine is also not native to Florida. I believe it is native to the Ivory Coast of Africa or possibly South Africa.

  • Simply Raw
    2 years ago

    I have done extensive reading and conclude that the Argentine Bahia grass is ideal for central Florida lawns and for weed control Basagran t/o or 2-4 D are two good products for weed control. Especially if you have kids and dogs. My uncle started out in late spring with a crappy yard he sprinkled down some Milorganite laid down one pallet of sod (only covered 1/4 of area) hand threw Bahia seed in the rest and by mid July he has a weed free lovely looking green lawn. He has a rambunctious 2 1/2 yr old husky too. Yes frequent mowing in summer, that's just a normal Florida issue all must endure. Keep you mower on high setting and only cut no more than 1/3 of it's growth each time with a well kept sharp blade. This enables a strong root system to grow. It keeps itself reseeded too. no worries about detaching. If grass starts to turn a yellow shade this holds a good likeliness to be do to needing an IRON supplement; do to the sandy dirt we have. in the fall to maintain a year round nice green lawn it is easily done by throwing out some rye seeds. which you can use the aline or a combo of rye and Bahia. I personally am working on my yard where I have 2 large dogs that tromp around. I went with just over seeding in the spring and though my lawn isn't where my uncle's is ( my lawn was severely neglected for many years) still it is coming along nicely. One needs to factor in how long it took to get in the bad state it is truly in from start. My only regret is I wish I just bit the bullet from start and did the kill all starting all over with seed (I just can't afford sod!) Anyways I'm still gaining in improvements and I truly have faith that my lawn will look as nice as his in 2 more growing seasons. I just didn't have the money UPFRONT to do in the most ideal fashion. So yeah, it will cost a bit more in the end I know and takes more time to attain the desired goal. Nonetheless, I still believe the Argentine Bahia grass makes the better choice in both cost and time in the care of. Only wish that the local diy's and branded seeds had more in their variety that seems better for use in home lawns, instead they carry the farmers choice in that of the Pensacola. I am not a pro by any measure just one who came to own conclusion after reading A LOT, asking many "pro's" in gardening and lawn care, local extension, home owners and all the like along with that of my personal experiences. hope it helps some in their personal choice of the many!