Bermuda Grass vs Fescue Grass- Chapel Hill NC 27517 (homes, licensed)

[poppydog]

How do you feel about lawns? There are some people who really care a lot and want their lawn to look perfect and take a lot of pride in keeping it weed free and super green and are willing to spend $$ on it. There are plenty of other folks who just want something green and don't care if it's weeds or fescue or bermuda or all three. You need to decide now which kind of lawn person you will be. Spend some time walking around and checking out lawns you like.

I am in the second camp. Don't care as long as it's green. To that end I like fescue better because it stays green longer. Fescue also tolerate moderate shade better. Folks who want a really immaculate lawn go with both fescue and warm season grasses like bermuda, zoysia and others.

I wouldn't irrigate grass. Goes against my conservation bent. Other folks want to do whatever it takes to keep a lawn looking just the way they like it.

You need to spend some time thinking about what YOU want. I think you've heard some from both sides here.

I agree that Bermuda will take over, and personally, RoundUp goes against my conservation ethic, too, and I won't touch the stuff, and keep my kids and pets away from neighbors' yards where it has been sprayed, but YMMV.

[faithkeep]

Originally Posted by Funky Chicken

Pros to Hybrid Bermuda-
No irrigation required
No overseeding
Weed resistant
Grows horizontally to fill in on its own
Very attractive in warm months when properly maintained

Cons to Hybrid Bermuda-
Dormant in winter

Pros to Fescue-
Potentially attractive year-round* (key word-POTENTIALLY)

Cons to Fescue
Needs Irrigation
Needs Aeration/Overseeding annually at a cost of at least a few hundred dollars for the size lawn you will have
Will NOT survive in direct sun conditions no matter how much water you throw at it

I replaced my Fescue with Bermuda after realizing that unless I installed irrigation I had no shot at keeping it alive. Even then, the yearly upkeep costs are far higher than Bermuda.

The last thing to consider is the type of exposure and sun your grass will get. The front of my house faces due East-my front lawn is blasted by sunlight from sunrise until mid afternoon when the sun drops behind the house and trees behind. That much direct sunlight is tailor made for Bermuda.

Thanks. Most of our yard is on back and rest on the front. not much on sides. Backyard is facing North/East and front yard is mostly south.

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by faithkeep

thanks. Will try to do this if we can (with builder).

Turflon Ester applied on Fescue it will stunt the Fescue growth completely and when summer hits the fescue will die completely.

Personally I wouldn't recommend it, and it's expensive. It's not something you pick up at Lowes or HD, and tank mixing it and having someone apply it will cost a pretty penny and the results will be subpar.

His suggestion for rye is puzzling. Rye won't last thru the first week of June with our typical weather. He also infers annual rye grass type, which looks nothing short of like a weed IMO. Perennial rye costs more but looks significantly better. Perennial rye grass is used as an overseeding of Bermuda in the winter time because it establishes fast and grows just about anywhere. The downside is the heat kills it extremely quickly.

[mocharoman]

Something nobody has mentioned, if your neighbors are all installing bermuda, you will have it also unless you are super diligent about keeping a line between the properties. The warm season grasses are aggressive in spreading. I would just install the bermuda and enjoy your green in the summer.

[faithkeep]

Originally Posted by mocharoman

Something nobody has mentioned, if your neighbors are all installing bermuda, you will have it also unless you are super diligent about keeping a line between the properties. The warm season grasses are aggressive in spreading. I would just install the bermuda and enjoy your green in the summer.

thats is funny. we do not have any neighbors now on either side but you are right we will have one day. I think most of them have fescue in that neighborhood but you never what we get from neighbors. Is it true that Bermuda is not green 9 months per year?

[poppydog]

Bermuda is brown as can be in winter. Very depressing.

Observations of Winter Lawns | North Carolina Cooperative Extension

[kelly237]

Originally Posted by poppydog

Bermuda is brown as can be in winter. Very depressing.

Observations of Winter Lawns | North Carolina Cooperative Extension

I agree and it's still dead in the middle of April...
Makes for an ugly spring yard !!!!

[danmcb26]

Ive had both and had the same choice when I moved. I went with Bermuda because the constant maintenance of fescue was so time consuming. If you have the time to maintain fescue it looks awesome. I have a retired neighbor who has it and it looks like Yankee stadium. So beautiful.

I also have another neighbor who doesn't have the time and he his lawn gets burnt out and looks really bad........year round. Bermuda looks good from right around now until the end of October. It thrives in heat and doesn't die........it goes dormant when the ground temperature is below 60 degrees. If you have the time to stay on top of it and are good at lawn maintenance (it does take some skill with all the chemicals) its basically an owners preference. If you want something that you makes your house look good but requires little to no work, go with Bermuda

[poppydog]

I agree on the ugly spring yard, kelly. I grew up with a warm season lawn in SE NC (too hot for fescue) and have vivid memories of brown, brown, brown throughout the winter. I'd much rather have fescue and some green, but obviously we each get our own opinion in the matter.

Has anyone suggested the turf files decision maker from NCSU? Turf Selection Decision Aid

[no kudzu]

If you are planning on ANy flower beds you will regret bermuda. It spreads by tolons and will cause a great deal of maintenance in beds. Fescue on the other hand is a clumping grass which will not spread.