Watering
Seeded Bermudagrass from Germination to Maturity
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| You have successfully
planted your bermudagrass seed and it’s time to turn on the water.
But how much water does it need?
. . . and how often? The answer
is that your irrigation schedule will need to be adjusted to fit environmental
conditions and the growth stage of the developing seedling as shown
below. |
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1.
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Germination-
Keep the soil surface moist with frequent, light irrigations. |
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2.
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Emergence-
Begin gradually decreasing the frequency and increasing the
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duration
of the irrigations 1-2 days after emergence. |
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3.
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Seedling
Disease- Allowing the soil surface to dry up for
short periods of time |
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can
help prevent the occurrence of “damping off” in young seedlings. |
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4.
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Developing
Seedlings- By the fourth leaf stage of development
seedlings |
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should
be able to go a day or two between irrigations. |
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5.
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Mature
Turf- Follow best management practices for watering. Start mowing . |
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to
avoid violating the 1/3rd rule, and to help control
weeds |
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| The following
information will provide helpful hints for watering your bermudagrass
throughout these different phases of establishment. |
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| 1.
Germination |
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Start
by watering your newly seeded bermudagrass 3-4 times/day for
10-15 minutes each time. The goal is to keep the soil surface moist until
germination and emergence has occurred.
This may require you to adjust the frequency of irrigations
based on soil type, weather conditions, etc.
A common mistake is to apply too much irrigation water
at one time. This results in puddling, or run-off that can
wash tiny bermudagrass seeds from the seedbed.
Frequent, light irrigations keep the soil surface moist
while avoiding erosion. |
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The
picture above shows how soil takes
on a lighter colored cast as it begins to
dry out. This seedbed is too dry.
Frequent
watering will keep the soil surface moist
and dark.
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The
irrigation has run too long in this picture
and has caused run-off. The
schedule
should be adjusted to shorter irrigations.
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| Hydro-seeding
mulch helps keep the seeds moist and may reduce the frequency of irrigations
necessary. The addition of tackifier to the mulch can prevent washing
on highly-erodable sites or in areas that are prone to heavy rains. |
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| 2.
Seedling Emergence |
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Emerging
bermudagrass seedlings are very small and can be difficult to
see. Continue to keep the soil surface moist for
a day or two after the first signs of emergence to ensure full
germination. Then gradually adjust the irrigation schedule by
decreasing the frequency and increasing the duration of the
irrigations. Seedlings
will normally emerge 5-14 days after planting depending on variety,
soil temperature, seeding depth, and seedbed conditions. |
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| 3.
Watch for Seedling Disease |
| From the time
that the bermudagrass seedlings germinate and emerge until they reach
the 3-5 leaf stage of development, they are somewhat susceptible to
the soil-borne pathogen Pythium which causes “damping off.”
High moisture, fertility, and warm soil temperatures create
an ideal environment for this disease to strike. Pennington coats bermudagrass seed with it’s
patented “Penkoted” seed treatment which contains a fungicide (Apron
XL) to help guard against Pythium.
With the first irrigation, this coating will wash off into
the soil and form a barrier of fungicidal protection around the seed. Studies have shown that Penkoted seed is much
less likely to be attacked by Pythium. |
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Correct
watering practices can also help prevent and/or control Pythium.
By allowing the soil surface to dry up for short periods
of time, the turf manager can help disrupt favorable conditions
for damping off and prevent it’s occurrence.
A good time to begin this is when the seedlings begin
entering their second leaf stage of development, or when signs
of damping off are observed. |
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Penkoted
seed (left) contains a fungicide that
helps guard against damping off.
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Damping
off has turned this leaf yellow as it attacks the bermudagrass
seedling.
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| 4.Watering
as Seedlings Develop |
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As
seedlings develop a more substantial root system, less
frequent and deeper irrigations will be necessary.
Continue to lengthen the periods between watering until
maturity. By the fourth leaf stage of development, seedlings
should be able to go several days between irrigations. As the turf matures, these dry periods will
become necessary to allow the turf manager to mow and make
fertilizer applications without creating ruts or compacting
the soil.
Closely
monitoring the turf as it matures can reveal clues as to whether
the turf is receiving too much water or too little water
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The black algae layer that has formed on the
surface of this seedbed is a sign that it
was kept continually moist for too long.
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When
conditions are too dry, leaves will
curl and change color to a steel gray.
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| 5.
Maturity |
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At
the fifth leaf stage of development, the plant will form “tillers”
in the leaf axils of the bottom two leaves. Once plants begin tillering and mowing has begun,
the new bermudagrass can be watered like mature turf.
Mowing
should begin in time to avoid the 1/3rd rule which
states that no more than1/3 of the total leaf area should
be removed in a single mowing.
For example, if you plan to maintain the turf at a
1” mowing height, begin mowing before the turf is over 1 ˝”
tall. Mowing will also
help control weeds and promote tillering and stolon
development.
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| Bermudagrass
is fairly salt tolerant. However, if irrigation water with a high salt
content has been used during the grow-in, consider “flushing” salts
through the soil profile with a heavy irrigation down to the two-foot
level. |
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| Watering
Best Management Practices |
| Poor irrigation
patterns can account for areas that fail to establish.
Before you plant, check your irrigation system to insure that
it provides sufficient coverage and that all equipment is functioning
properly. Test the system periodically
to insure that all heads are working correctly. Regular mowing will keep the grass from blocking
the sprinklers. |
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| As the seedlings
mature and develop a deeper root system, adjust the frequency and
depth of the irrigation to a depth just below the current root zone.
A soil probe can help determine soil moisture at the depth
of the root zone. Excess water does not benefit the plant and
may leach soil amendments and starter fertilizer out of the root zone. |
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| Try not to irrigate
before heavy traffic or mowing. Heavy traffic on wet soils can lead to compaction
and mowing wet grass will result in clumps of clippings. |
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| If possible,
established turf should be watered in the early morning hours when
evaporation is not as high as mid-day and surface winds are generally
calmer. Watering in the evening
will cause the leaf surface to stay moist for long periods of time
and creates a favorable environment for disease. |
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| If you perform
a minimal amount of soil tillage before planting, deep tine aeration
can drastically improve water infiltration and make your irrigations
more effective. |
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