During the month of April the daytime temperatures are
rising rapidly while the nights are still cool. The Rye
can remain fairly green with extra water but at the same time the Bermuda is greening up even though it is not growing
much. Therefore the goal in April is to lower the mowing height weekly to allow
more light to reach the Bermuda. The Rye will
be stubborn to eradicate so aim to mow it down to ¾” to stress it and exhaust
its food reserves by the end of April.
At May 1st switch to a Bermuda
watering schedule that irrigates to a depth of 8” no more than three times a
week. The Bermuda roots must be hydrated and
healthy to support the flush of new growth that comes in May.
Do not shut off the irrigation to stress the rye at this
time as it will also have a negative impact on the Bermuda, but provide deep,
infrequent watering.
By Mid May we will have reached the mid sixty degree night
time temperatures needed to stimulate the Bermuda
into growth. Fertilize to provide the nitrogen that it will be using to
re-establish itself.
If there is any persistent Rye
present in the Bermuda in June then it is OK
to shut off the water for a week to stress it further. Use a
verticutter/dethatcher to remove any remaining Rye. Keep cutting low and repeat as necessary
until all the Rye
is gone.
It is critical that the Bermuda have a minimum of 100 days
of active growth with no competition from the Rye in order for it to become healthy and
recharge its carbohydrate reserves before the next over seeding date arrives in
October. The Rye
must be completely gone by the end of June to meet this demand.
Resume mowing at 2 to 3 inches for the warm months and
lightly fertilize monthly to keep color and growth optimal.
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