# Common bermuda in coastal hay meadow



## rudeag (Jul 16, 2017)

New to group and have a problem with common bermuda in coastal hay patch. Sprigged in 1963 and actively hayed for last 10 years. I have several small patches of common in the meadow. Has coastal ever reverted back to common? What are remedial actions to eliminate?


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I think true Coastal Bermuda that's been sprigged won't revert back to Common Bermuda but some seeded varieties will revert back. I think your best solution is good fertilization program to encourage Coastal to outgrow Common.


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## rudeag (Jul 16, 2017)

Thanks for the reply. Excellent idea and will do that. I was thinking about hand spraying the small plots with glyphosate at a rate of 1 1/2 to 2 ozs per gallon. Decent idea? Additionally I have never planted any common in the pasture. Go figger.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I think Common Bermuda will not be bothered by 1-1/2-2 OZs per acre.


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## rudeag (Jul 16, 2017)

Tx Jim, I suspect u are right, probly wouldn't faze a goat weed either. The rate would be 1 1/2 to 2 ozs per gallon.


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## rudeag (Jul 16, 2017)

I have decided the common came in on some previous years baling equipment.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

I have common bermudagrass in my Coastal hay meadow also, probably from mismanagement by previous absentee owners and from moving cattle from common bermudagrass pasture to the Coastal bermudagrass hay meadow. Common bermudagrass is an invader.

What is the pH of your hay meadow soil? When you fertilize your hay meadow for Coastal bermudagrass hay, are you using a 4-1-5 ratio of N-P2O5-K2 O? Like 80-20-100 per acre. Don't need the middle number (P2O5) if your soil test phosphorus level is high, but you may want to apply some phosphate with one application of fertilizer each season to replace what is removed by the bermudagrass. Don't forget to include some sulfur, like 20 to 30 lb/acre from KMag if you are using ammonium nitrate as the nitrogen source. If using urea from an American Plant Food plant, it likely is already blended with ammonium sulfate.

A word of caution if you intend to Roundup the common bermudagrass, do this during a time when the Coastal bermudagrass is actively growing, and include a pre-emergent herbicide in the application. If you kill the common, other undesirable weeds including common bermudagrass from seed may fill in the spots where the common has been killed before the Coastal bermudagrass has had time to grow into the killed spots My 2c worth.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

rudeag said:


> I have decided the common came in on some previous years baling equipment.


Cross contamination with common is purty, well......common  I wouldn't worry with it much if it were in coastal...Tift 85 would be a bit different DEPENDING on my eventual market for said forage


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

It is hard to rid yourself of the common. I tried to kill it best I could out of 30 acres sprigged to tif 85,following glasophate directions. I still have common in my meadow in spots. Keeping it fertilized correctly will help.


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## 32-0-0 (May 30, 2017)

vhaby said:


> I have common bermudagrass in my Coastal hay meadow also, probably from mismanagement by previous absentee owners and from moving cattle from common bermudagrass pasture to the Coastal bermudagrass hay meadow. Common bermudagrass is an invader.
> 
> What is the pH of your hay meadow soil? When you fertilize your hay meadow for Coastal bermudagrass hay, are you using a 4-1-5 ratio of N-P2O5-K2 O? Like 80-20-100 per acre. Don't need the middle number (P2O5) if your soil test phosphorus level is high, but you may want to apply some phosphate with one application of fertilizer each season to replace what is removed by the bermudagrass. Don't forget to include some sulfur, like 20 to 30 lb/acre from KMag if you are using ammonium nitrate as the nitrogen source. If using urea from an American Plant Food plant, it likely is already blended with ammonium sulfate.
> 
> A word of caution if you intend to Roundup the common bermudagrass, do this during a time when the Coastal bermudagrass is actively growing, and include a pre-emergent herbicide in the application. If you kill the common, other undesirable weeds including common bermudagrass from seed may fill in the spots where the common has been killed before the Coastal bermudagrass has had time to grow into the killed spots My 2c worth.


vhaby,

You stated above that you should wait until the coastal Bermuda is actively growing if you plan to try roundup the common Bermuda. My simple mind tells me that one would risk killing the coastal as well as the common Bermuda. Or can the coastal survive the weak roundup mix but the common Bermuda can't? How much roundup per acre would you recommend with this strategy?


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

It would shock me if a Glyphosate application strong enough to kill Common will not kill Coastal.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm thinkin' spot spray applications, but as stated....therein lies a new problem, are you going to try and sprig or otherwise propagate those areas? If not, it'll be a battle with weeds/grasses, including common once again....


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Thanks Dawg, Those were my thoughts also. Spraying spots of common, not treatment of the whole field. If the common is universally throughout the Coastal bermudagrass, and not just in small spots, good luck trying anything to get rid of it. At least using anything that I know about, which seems to be less the more that I learn.

Seems to me that since Coastal does not produce viable seed and common does, maintaining a four week cutting schedule might help control the common by, hopefully, preventing the common from producing mature seed and proliferating even more.


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