The rich texture of Bermuda grass and its exceptional ability to retain its deep luscious green tint throughout the year has made it a popular lawn grass among lawn care lovers. Bermuda grass is one of the toughest grasses; it is particularly adaptive in warm climates.
Most people adore this grass, but those who are considering it, always get cold feet wondering, “will Bermuda grass grow in the shade?”
I’ve developed affections for Bermuda grass, and now that I’ve come to Florida, I figured why not give it a shot? The only issue is that the two-story building and the trees surrounding my house almost made me reconsider using Bermuda grass.
Let me tell you about my Bermuda grass’s fate, but first, let us understand Bermuda grass.
Contents
What is Bermuda Grass?
Around the 1500s, the Spanish brought this magnificent grass to America from Africa. We have seen how popular this grass has become, with only climate preventing most households from obtaining it.
Bermuda grass is a warm-season perennial grass, which means it grows back every year at the right temperature. It is always at its peak from late spring until the scorching summer months.
Bermuda grass is the definition of a tough turfgrass; it is heat tolerant and recovers quickly from damage. This kind of resilience makes it a grass lover’s dream.
Bermuda grass has deep rhizomes that allow it to expand faster than any other variety of warm-season grass, forming a dense carpet of green that chokes out weeds.
The Bermuda grass grows best in warm climes, but it can also live in frost-free climates, retaining its green color throughout the winter.
Best dandelion killer for lawns
Bermuda Grass Requirements
Bermuda grass thrives well in well-drained soil, but its resilient nature allows it to grow in any soil, from sandy to heavy clay to poor soil. Plus, it can handle both acidic and alkaline soil.
Bermuda grass is drought tolerant due to extensive roots and requires full exposure to the sun. Additionally, this grass is easy to grow, performing well as long as you are in the United States department of agriculture Zones 7-10.
Your children will enjoy playing on your Bermuda tuft without you having to worry about traffic wear. It is utilized in sports grounds because of its capacity to tolerate heavy traffic. However, to keep Bermuda grass at its peak, nourishment is essential.
Some people despise Bermuda grass because of its aggressive invasiveness and high nutritional requirements. Bermuda grass is difficult to tame, making it a high-maintenance warm-season grass.
See also: Which is better hulled or unhulled Bermuda seed?
Will Bermuda Grass Grow in the Shade?
You can feed and water your Bermuda grass, but it will still grow slowly if it is not exposed to sunshine. Bermuda grass is not shade-tolerant but grows poorly when it does establish in the shade. This grass requires more light than any other warm-season grass.
When it comes to Bermuda grass, the strength of the light is not as significant as the time of sunlight it receives over the course of the day. To fight even the most invasive weeds, ensure your Bermuda gets enough sunlight.
Sun-deprived Bermuda is ugly, with thin, weak blades that result in a less dense carpet. Try comparing a Bermuda grass blade in full sunshine to one in partial shade to understand why keeping your Bermuda tuft in the shadow is not a good idea.
Bermuda Grass Light Requirement
As previously said, the duration of the light in Bermuda is more important than the strength of the light. Blue and red sunshine rays are required for photosynthesis in Bermuda grass.
Different types of Bermuda grass require light, but the variation is in the number of hours each requires.
Agricultural engineers have worked hard to develop several Bermuda grass types with increased shade resistance, but it is still insufficient. The hybrid type requires around 4 hours of direct sunshine to perform well; if this is not accomplished, the results will be disappointing.
While typical Bermuda grass needs 6 hours of direct sunlight to shine brightly. If you cannot achieve this requirement, I recommend switching to shade-tolerant grass.
See also: What herbicide kills goosegrass in Bermuda
What happens to my Bermuda grass when under the shade?
Aside from poor development, your Bermuda tuft will face additional issues when grown in the shadow. Bermuda grass is a creeping grass that gets most of its strength from its ability to grow laterally. However, when it gets too hot, it will stretch upward in search of sunshine.
The change in its growth behavior makes it prone to weeds, and the inability to outcompete weeds is the first clue that your Bermuda is not getting enough sunshine. A healthy Bermuda tuft quickly chokes out weeds.
See also: Poa annua control in Bermuda grass
For you, sunlight on Bermuda grass not only aids in photosynthesis but also aids in drying morning dew. When the morning dew remains on the blades for an extended period, your Bermuda grass becomes prone to fungal infection and begins to turn brown.
A lack of sunshine entails a lack of efficient rhizomes and stolons for Bermuda grass, which decreases its ability to recover from harm. Thus, you will notice that your grass takes a long time to recover from frost damage and has difficulty dealing with heavy foot traffic.
Bermuda grass is dense and luscious when it is healthy. Keep a watch out for thinning; your Bermuda grass is trying to tell you something, so listen up.
See also: Do Bermuda grass choke out weeds?
Trying to force a vehicle to fly like a plane will result in a spectacular failure. In the same way that vehicles will serve you well on the road, Bermuda grass will serve you well in an area with a lot of sunlight.
This post on “will Bermuda grass grow in the shade” is for you; it is the result of my catastrophic failure to grow Bermuda grass in the shade. I hope you will not follow in my footsteps.
Bermuda grass is a great grass that should be grown in direct sunshine to get the most out of it.
