Dealing with patchy or thin Bermuda grass? The thick, green lawn of your dreams might be easier to achieve than you think. Making Bermuda grass spread into a luscious lawn comes down to pretty simple factors—proper mowing, watering, and maintenance. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about fixing nutrient deficiencies in the soil, dealing with soil compaction, and creating the ideal growing conditions for thick Bermuda grass.

This article is based on an interview with our lawn care specialist, Jeremy Yamaguchi, founder of Lawn Love. Check out the full interview here.

1

Mow low and mow every 5-7 days.

  1. To make Bermuda grass thicker, mow it to 1–1.5 in (2.5–3.8 cm). Cutting the Bermuda grass short will create a denser lawn because the plant will channel its energy into horizontal spread rather than vertical growth. You can use either a rotary or reel mower—either works![1] Mow roughly once a week to keep your lawn looking thick and healthy.[2]
    • During periods of drought or extreme heat, raise the mowing height to around 2 in (5.1 cm) to reduce plant stress.[3]
    • If your grass is already really long, only remove ⅓ of the plant height at a time. Gradually adjust your mowing height lower and lower every week until you hit the 1–1.5 in (2.5–3.8 cm) range.
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2

Water your lawn every 5-10 days.

  1. Bermuda grass does best with deep, infrequent watering. Wet the soil to 6 in (15 cm), and use a soil probe to make sure you’ve watered enough. Then, wait to water again until the grass shows drought stress (which will take 5-10 days, depending on your weather). You'll know you should water again when the leaves turn dull blue and start to fold.[4]
    • To prevent run-off and make sure you’re watering deep enough, you might have to run your sprinklers in 30-minute or 1-hour intervals. Watering in intervals gives the soil time to absorb everything.
    • Grass doesn’t grow well with wet roots. If you see muddy puddles of water on your lawn, it’s time to dial back the amount you’re watering.
3

Apply a nitrogen fertilizer.

  1. Add fertilizer about 3 weeks after your Bermuda grass turns green in May. To get the best fertilizer, do a soil test to check what ratio nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) will work for your lawn. If you don’t want to do a soil test, a safe bet is to use a 3-1-2 NPK ratio like a 15-5-10 or 21-7-14 fertilizer.[5] Apply fertilizer once per month during the May-September growing season, spreading 0.5–1 lb (0.23–0.45 kg) of nitrogen per 1000 sq ft each time.[6]
    • Since applying 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) of fertilizer isn’t the same thing as applying 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) of nitrogen, you’ll need to do a quick conversion.
    • To figure out how much fertilizer you need to get 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) pound of nitrogen, divide 50 by the first number on the fertilizer bag.
    • For instance, if you’re using a 15-5-10 fertilizer, 50 divided by 15 equals 3.3, so you’d need to distribute 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) of fertilizer to actually get 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) of nitrogen.
    • You don’t need to fertilize in the fall or winter because the plants are likely dormant during that season.
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6

Overseed to fill in bare spots.

  1. Overseeding means you’ll add more grass seed without turning the soil. Prep your lawn for overseeding by mowing and bagging the clippings (so the clippings don’t act as a barrier between the seeds and the soil). Aerate and rake the lawn to clear any thatch, debris, or rocks. Then, spread about 16 seeds per 1 in (2.5 cm) with a seed spreader.[9]
    • When you choose seeds to overseed a Bermuda grass lawn, try using annual ryegrass, as an optional strategy to keep your lawn looking green through winter.[10]
    • After you overseed, lightly water 2-3 times a day for 7-10 days before returning to your regular watering schedule.[11]
10

Adjust your soil pH to 6.0-6.5.

  1. Improving soil pH is a long-term strategy to encourage growth. To find your soil pH, do a pH test. Use sulfur to lower pH and use lime to raise pH.[16] Any time you amend the soil for pH, do another pH test 3 months later to check your lawn’s progress. Just keep in mind, it might take a few years to truly change the pH.
    • Apply 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of pelletized sulfur per 1000 square feet of turf, only when the air temp is below 75 °F (24 °C).
    • The amount of lime you need to raise pH will vary depending on your soil type. In general, the amount ranges from 25–100 lb (11–45 kg) per 1000 sq ft of turf.[17]
    • December through February provides a good window to adjust soil pH as you likely won’t be fertilizing during that period.[18]
11

Use an iron supplement for greener grass.

About This Article

Jeremy Yamaguchi
Written by:
Lawn Care Specialist
This article was written by Jeremy Yamaguchi and by wikiHow staff writer, Kira Jan. Jeremy Yamaguchi is a Lawn Care Specialist and the Founder/CEO of Lawn Love, a digital marketplace for lawn care and gardening services. Jeremy provides instant satellite quotes and can coordinate service from a smartphone or web browser. The company has raised funding from notable investors like Y Combinator, Joe Montana, Alexis Ohanian, Barbara Corcoran and others. This article has been viewed 7,341 times.
4 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 5
Updated: June 27, 2022
Views: 7,341
Categories: Growing Grasses
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