I made that same mistake a few years ago. I think the damage is done. It really wont be that bad. A year from now you can use pre M and spray for weeds. You can hand pull this year :)!

Hi Rager,

I think you're right. I went out to spread the straw around a bit more so that it wasn't too dense in any single area, and I was able to find plenty of grains that already found their way down inside the grass... so I can't imagine that raking up the straw would do anything besides defeating the original purpose I intended to use it for.

The gardening store my wife bought it from told her it was just straw, and no grains, but apparently they were mistaken. Oh well, live and learn!

I believe the idea to overseed was a mistake. For the clerk to sell you straw was like the clerk at McDonald's asking if you want fries with that. You did not need it and, worse yet, it might provide enough shade to thin out your bermuda and allow weeds to get a foothold.

Find the Bermuda Bible online and memorize it.

Hi DCHall,

Thanks for the reply.

After reading through some previous threads on this forum, I heard the recommendation for the Bermuda Bible several times and actually did find it earlier this afternoon.

To my surprise, I was actually following several of the recommendations to the T without even knowing it; i.e. frequent mowing (every 3-4 days), mulch mowing, fertilization, and weed control. I haven't, however, done a stellar job at consistent irrigation and thatch control. In fact, this year was the first time I've de-thatched my yard in the 8 years I've lived in this house.

After removing a lot of thatch, the grass was pretty thin in several areas. That, coupled with the bare patches left behind by the trees I had removed last year, left me with a rather sparse looking lawn this year. That was primarily why I decided to overseed. My goal was to revive the lawn with some new growth and to follow an established regimen (like that found in the Bermuda Bible) closely to get the best results possible.

That in mind, would you still say it was a mistake to overseed? If so, what makes you draw that conclusion?

As for the straw, I'm just having to bite the bullet on that one. I know now it was a mistake and I got out and thinned it as much as possible without disturbing the existing grass and freshly laid seed. I tried to make sure there were no large (1' or more) spots where sunlight wouldn't be able to reach the grass. Again, that was more of a live-n-learn type deal for me. I wish I had visited this forum before I decided to lay it down, because I'm regretting it now. But what's done is done, unfortunately.

Anyhow, thanks again for your time.

This post was edited by Kineticmind on Sat, May 18, 13 at 22:53

Mistake to overseed simply because you already have bermuda. It grows and spreads like wildfire. You can't stop it from spreading.

Ah, i see. That makes sense and i don't foresee myself needing to overseed again in the future, especially if I stick to the regimen put forth in the Bermuda Bible.

Right now I'm just hoping for the best outcome and learning from my newbie mistakes!

I would rake it up go buy a few roles of sod use a bulb cutter/knife and cut 3" sections out of the sod. Then use the bulb cutter or shovel and dig the ground out and plant the 3" sections. Depending on the area if its large use string to plant them in line. Either way this will do better than the seed and sod is pretty cheap $5-10 a roll.

BermudaTamer: Thank you for the advice. How much area does a single roll cover? The bare areas I'm dealing with are decent sized, with the smallest being a good 3' in diameter.

Also, how far apart would you recommend spacing the 3" plugs? Or is the goal to try and cover as much of the bare patches as possible with the sod?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm still learning.