Bermuda grass is an aggressive, warm-season turfgrass known for its resilience and ability to thrive in heat. Identifying the first signs of spring growth is important for lawn management. Recognizing this initial emergence allows for proper timing of herbicides and fertilizers, which is crucial for establishing a thick, healthy lawn and minimizing weed competition.
The Temperature Threshold for Awakening
Bermuda grass enters its active growth phase after the soil absorbs enough warmth to sustain metabolism. The trigger for breaking winter dormancy is the soil temperature, not the air temperature. This warm-season grass begins to initiate green-up when the soil temperature, measured at a four-inch depth, consistently reaches 65°F.
Nighttime air temperatures also play a role, typically needing to remain above 60°F for several consecutive days. This ensures the grass has sufficient warmth to produce energy and avoid a damaging late-season frost. If the grass greens up too early, a hard freeze can kill the new leaf blades, forcing the plant to use stored energy for recovery.
Visual Characteristics of Emerging Growth
When Bermuda grass first emerges from dormancy, its color shifts noticeably from the straw-brown of the dormant turf. The new shoots initially appear as a fresh, bright lime-green or apple-green color, contrasting sharply with the surrounding dormant material. The very first sprouts may even show a slight brownish-purple tint as they push through the soil.
The earliest leaf blades are narrow, fine-textured, and have pointed tips, often emerging in a rolled-up formation. This fine texture is characteristic of the species and is a key feature to look for in the spring. As growth accelerates, the plant quickly produces its signature aggressive runners, a definitive sign of establishment.
These runners are either above-ground stems (stolons) or underground stems (rhizomes). Both stolons and rhizomes have distinct nodes, or joints, from which new shoots and roots emerge. This structure allows the plant to spread rapidly and form a dense mat. The underground rhizomes also function as storage organs, providing the energy reserves needed for vigorous spring growth.
Differentiating New Bermuda Shoots from Weeds
Differentiating new Bermuda shoots from emerging grassy weeds can be challenging in the spring, but focusing on structure and color helps. Bermuda grass blades are fine and narrow. They possess a very short, white, membranous structure called a ligule where the leaf blade meets the sheath. This ligule is a helpful identification feature.
Common spring weeds, such as crabgrass seedlings, often have a broader leaf blade and lack the distinct white ligule. While new Bermuda growth is fine and spreads horizontally via runners, crabgrass tends to form a dense, single clump that sprawls outward. If you see a coarse, light green grass that produces tall, tassel-like seed heads early in the season, it is likely annual bluegrass, a cool-season weed that greens up much earlier. The presence of clearly defined, slender runners with rooting nodes is the most reliable sign that you are observing the desired Bermuda grass.