How2Day: The Best Bermuda Grass for Home Use

Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) is a deep rooted, warm season, native grass of southeast Africa. The grass is highly popular for homes and as commercial turf given its ability to thrive in high heat and humidity where a number of cool season grasses like fescues fail to do well. The deep root system of the grass gives it superior tolerance for drought. Bermuda grass is moderately easy to establish and adapts well to a variety of soil types. A number of Bermuda grass cultivars are well adapted for home use.

Tifway 419 Bermuda grass variety is a hardy variety that produces a medium to fine, dark green turf well suited to growing as home lawns. The grass is rapid growing and dense with a fast recovery from injury making the grass a good choice for homes with pets and small children. Tifway 419 is tolerant of close mowing and has a high level of resistance to disease. The grass also tolerates high heat, wear and drought and demonstrates early greening in spring. Tifway 419 thrives in areas of sun and does not do well in shade. Fall overseeding is often required to maintain winter color.

Tifway II Bermuda grass is a hardy and durable Bermuda grass variety with superior tolerance to wear and traffic making it a good choice for use in homes. This variety has a very short winter dormancy and retains its color longer into fall. The grass starts to green up sooner in spring and has a slightly coarse textures and dark green color. Tifway II was ranked as the best in Bermuda grass cultivar test conducted by the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program as cited by the West Coast Turf seed company. The grass is resistant to root knot, sting and ring nematodes. Tifway II thrives in areas of full sun and has a low tolerance for shade.

Tifgreen Bermuda grass is a variety released by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station and Crop Research Division, USDA in 1959. The rapid growing grass, with its low growth and a thick, weed resistant turf, is well suited to home use. Tifgreen has a fine texture and soft blades and accommodates overseeding with winter grass better than a number of other Bermuda grass varieties. Tifgreen is not very tolerant of high air pollution and is also susceptible to spring dead spot when planted in the transition gardening zones of the United States. The Texas A&M University Extension recommends tifgreen as a good variety for fine lawns.

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