Bermuda grass is a favorite for growing in the garden because of its intense vigor, fast growth, and low maintenance costs.
This grass also suffers from some basic problems such as brown spots or yellowing of leaves. This is a warning situation about some diseases or unsuitable living conditions for grass growth.
My Bermuda grass is turning brown? What causes the lawn to turn brown or yellow? Is there a way to fix and revive a wilted lawn? Let’s find out more information in this article.
Bermuda Grass Characteristics And Early Signs Of Brown Spot
There are many causes of Bermuda grass turning brown or yellow. Some common causes include lack of light, waterlogging, old grass leaves underneath, insects and diseases.
However, first, we need to learn about the characteristics of Bermuda grass and the early signs of brown or yellow leaves.
Bermuda grass is a warm grass that generally prefers sunlight and temperatures above 55 degrees F. This grass needs at least 4 hours of sunlight a day to photosynthesize and store energy.
A lawn will not be able to revive if brown or yellow spots are widespread. Therefore, you need to detect the early signs to find the cause and how to fix it.
Some early signs are as follows:
- Small patches of brown spots appear, which then spread and merge together
- A ring of brown grass wraps around a green grass and causes that green grass to turn brown or yellow too
- The grass is brown at the bottom of the leaves, near the ground
Read more: What Grass Mixes Well With Bermuda?
The Reason Why My Bermuda Grass Is Turning Brown
Bermuda grass turning brown or yellow can be caused by the characteristics of the grass or by fungi and diseases. In addition, some other causes such as lack of water, poor soil nutrients, and poor drainage.
1. Diseases Caused By Fungi
Some of the common causes of brown and yellow leaf spots in Bermuda grass are fungi. The hottest months of the year are favorable for the growth of fungi and diseases for Bermuda grass.
Some of the more common diseases caused by fungi are powdery mildew, dollar spot, or leaf spot. These fungi block and inhibit the photosynthesis of Bermuda grass.
As you know, photosynthesis is an integral part of plants to help maintain the green color of leaves. If the fungus inhibits this process, the Bermuda grass will gradually turn brown and die.
How to treat: Soil that is too moist in the evening and night is the most ideal condition for fungus to grow. Therefore, you should not water at night, because high humidity and wet leaves will create conditions for fungi to multiply and grow.
You should water during the day, especially in hot months to reduce moisture and water from sticking to the leaves.
Also, if the fungal condition is widespread, you need to use a fungicide such as Daconil or Fung-Away within 14 days. Horticulturalists recommend the use of these two drugs to treat brown spot disease.
2. Lack Of Sunlight
Bermuda grass needs at least 4 hours of light a day, so if you plant it in an area that is too shaded, brown spots will also appear.
The reason is that Bermuda grass does not have enough light for photosynthesis and chlorophyll exchange, leading to a weakened root system. From there, the bushes will weaken and gradually turn colored, brown, and susceptible to disease.
How to fix it: To remedy this situation you need to prune bushes and trees so that the lawn has enough light. You should also regularly prune to remove old, weak leaves and pests.
Bermuda grass should be maintained at 3 inches tall and trimmed only 1/3 of the height of the bushes to secure their growing base.
If your area cannot tolerate light, you should opt for other grasses as Bermuda grass prefers sun every day.
3. Seasonal Features
Another cause of brown or yellow leaves is the thermophilic characteristic of Bermuda grass. This grass typically loves temperatures of 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, so its leaves will turn yellow or brown in cool weather.
How to fix it: This is a normal phenomenon of Bermuda grass and other grasses like Centipede grass, so you do not need to interfere. Allow the grass to hibernate and it will be green again when the temperature is warm again.
4. Lack Of Water Or Lack Of Nutrients
Lack of water also causes leaves to wilt, and turn yellow or brown. Especially, if you grow Bermuda grass on sandy soil, regular watering is important because the sand drains very quickly.
Bermuda grass cannot absorb nutrients and water will also weaken the roots causing the entire system to be damaged. So you need to make sure to water when the soil is dry and apply a high-nitrogen fertilizer to your lawn.
From there, they will absorb water and nutrients to maintain the life of the grass.
5. Poorly Drained, Waterlogged Soil
Waterlogging that causes the roots of Bermuda grass to rot will also lead to yellowing or browning of leaves.
In particular, the roots of this grass need a lot of space to grow, because if the soil is too sticky and lacks oxygen will also harm the grass.
The treatment is that you must check the porosity and moisture in the soil regularly to avoid waterlogging. In addition, aeration in the lawn will help promote oxygen in the soil and help the roots grow more.
Therefore, you should regularly aerate the lawn to create ideal conditions in the soil and help the grass grow.
Conclusion
There are many causes for Bermuda grass to have brown spots or leaf scum. Some basic causes such as lack of light, fungus, lack of water, poor soil nutrients, and waterlogging.
To overcome these conditions you need to detect the early signs to find ways to handle them. Use fungicides, prune plants to let in sunlight, aerate, check drainage, nutrients, and so on.