Bermuda Grass Front Yard vs back yard

16 years ago

I live in Hernando, MS (zone 7). My yard is about 3 acres with bermuda grass covering 60% to 70% of that area. All of the bermuda was put down as sod about 7 years ago when the house was built. I have owned the home for about 4 years. The grass was in average (at best) condition when I purchased the home. I had a contract with Scott's up until last year. Scott's improved the condition of the yard slightly, but never could get the yard into the condition I desired.

Since I took over the maintenance of the lawn I put down Scott's pre-emergent in the fall, but as has been the case as long as I've lived here, I had tons of weeds come up in the spring. I applied some Gordan's 2,4-D liquid herbicide I got from Tractor Supply this spring as well as some 34-0-0 liquid fertilizer after the grass greened up. The weeds are some-what under control, but I still have quite a bit that continue to pop up - especially in my front yard.

My main issue is that my backyard is always greener, thicker and has less weeds than my front yard. Both get sun nearly all day long, however the grass in the front yard is thin and grows at about half the rate of the backyard. I could probably go two weeks without mowing the front yard, but the backyard needs mowing every 5 to 7 days. Neither the front or backyard have trees that provide that much shade, so it is not related to lack of sunlight. I water at least once a week and if anything, the front yard gets watered more regularly than the backyard.

Any ideas on what could be the issue?

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Comments (6)

botanicalbill
16 years ago
It might be your timing on the preemergent. I was under the impression that the preemergent needed to be applied just as the weed seeds were sprouting, spring time.

Some weeds seeds can last up to 40 years in the soil. If 10-30 years ago your front yard was covered in weeds, then these seeds still may exist in higher concentration then in the back yard. Just a possibility.

Its seems that weeds are more apt to sprout where the soil is disturbed. Do you have traffic from feet or dogs in the front yard, more than the back?
jbonecpa
Original Author
16 years ago
My front yard gets no dog traffic and little or no foot traffic. My backyard gets a fair amount of foot traffic and lots of traffic from two small dogs.
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john_in_sc
16 years ago
How about a soil test? PH problems can cause you endless hang...

Have you dug around to verify what is going on in your soil? More rocks, drainage problems, buried cement, old gravel driveways, etc. They may have parked cars on your front yard for 20 years and compacted the heck out of it...

Where is the drain field (Grass always grows greener over the septic tank!)

Have you tried out a Percolation test (Does it drain right)
Have you tried out the dirt-in-a-mason jar test to see the soil makeup?

What side of the house is the Front vs Back...

Frequently, the south side will get the most sun -- even though the north side may be pretty big....

Thanks

John
texas_weed
16 years ago
Yeah check your soil PH and iron levels.
jbonecpa
Original Author
16 years ago
I did talk with my local extension office and they sent me a package to collect a soil sample and send it off for testing, so I'm going to do that.

The entire yard has been aerated yearly since I've lived there.

My septic tank is in the back yard and the field lines spray at the back of my property - the grass is definitely green near the spinkers.

I have not tried a percolation test - actually I've never heard of it before; Nor have I tried the dirt-in-a-mason jar test.

The house faces slightly south east - the sun rises on one side and sets on the other; so if the south side gets more sun, then the front yard would get more sun than the back.

Thanks for you help.
john_in_sc
16 years ago
The percolation test is quite simple -- Dig a hole about 1 foot deep. Pour it full of water and wait... Observe whether it soaks in... Then, once it has soaked in -- fill it up full of water again and let it soak in again.. If it all soaks in within a few minutes -- you may be draining too fast and the grass dries out too fast... If it doesn't drain within a day... you have other problems.... Sometimes clay soils will soak in great on the 1st round, then will become impermeable after the 2nd or 3rd round -- as the clay saturates... It can also help point out problems in the subsoil like pure coarse sand, big rocks and hard-pans... (Gosh, my lawn drains fine here, but doesn't drain at all over there... I wonder why?)

The 2nd test is outlined on here somewhere -- but it is to determine your soil makeup.. You take a mason jar about 1/3 full of dirt (No rocks and sticks).. Fill it mostly full of water.. Shake it up really good and let it sit overnight... Then shake it up really good again and let it sit again...

It will separate out into various layers.. Sand and rocks on the bottom, silt in the middle, clay near the top, and light organic material on the top or floating... You then measure the layers with a tape measure and it tells you the soil makeup...

These tests will help lead you in the direction of which amendments will help vs which ones will hurt... If your soil is all sand and already drains too fast.. Adding more sand won't help anything... but adding a little Clay would help quite a bit... and vice versa.

Thanks

John