Bermudagrass, a warm-season perennial grass, has increasingly become a problem in Kentucky cool season turfgrass. When bermudagrass is introduced into a cool-season lawn, it can be a highly invasive weed. It is often able to outcompete cool season grasses, and during the heat of the summer, bermudagrass can choke out desirable grasses. In fall, bermudagrass becomes dormant and turns a broom-straw brown color in contrast to the green of cool-season turfgrasses. Bermudagrass also frequently spreads into landscape beds, tree mulch rings, and even across concrete, causing more complex weed control scenarios.
This newly developed fact sheet by the UK Department of Plant and Soil Sciences addresses these issues and presents cultural and chemical methods of management.
Bermudagrass Control for Kentucky Lawns (AGR-278) is available online.
For publications on turfgrasses, visit the UK Turfgrass Science webpage.
By Cheryl Kaiser, Plant Pathology Extension Support, and Kenneth Clayton, Turfgrass Extension Associate
Kentucky Pest News 