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Common Name: Bermuda grass
Type: Turfgrass
Family: Poaceae
Zone: 7 to 10
Garden Location: Ameren Ground Cover Border
Height: 0.25 to 0.5 feet
Spread: 0.25 to 0.5 feet
Bloom Time: Non-flowering
Bloom Description: Non-flowering
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Medium
Tolerates: Drought
Culture
Grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates heat, drought and a wide range of soils. Intolerant of shade. When grown as a turfgrass, it should be mowed regularly to a height of 3/4” to 1.5” tall, fertilize during the growing season (May to August) and use soil barriers to prevent spread into adjacent areas. 'Yukon' may be established by plugs, sprigs or sod or by seeding. It is sometimes over-seeded with rye. It is particularly noted for having better winter cold tolerance than most other seeded bermuda grass varieties, but it still has winter hardiness problems in the Midwest Transition Area which includes St. Louis. Some winter kill is to be expected when winter temperatures dip below 10 degrees F. Dethatching (during period of May to August) may be needed. It is not recommended as a turfgrass for lawns in the St. Louis area.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Bermuda grass (also sometimes commonly called wire grass) is a tough, warm season grass which spreads rapidly by both stolons and rhizomes. In optimum conditions, it will form a dense lawn which tolerates foot traffic well and excludes many common weeds. In the deep South, bermuda grass is the most widely used turfgrass for golf courses and lawns. Its advantages include quick growth and recovery, tolerance for heat and drought, good dark green color and ability to form dense sod. The main disadvantages of bermuda grass as a turfgrass for lawns are its intolerance for shade conditions, its straw-colored foliage from mid-fall to late spring when the grass goes dormant and its highly invasive habit which results in spread into adjacent plantings such as flower beds, vegetable garden and borders. Some homeowners consider it to be a noxious weed and expend considerable energy trying to eradicate it from their lawns and garden areas. ‘Yukon’ is a fine-textured, seeded variety which is noted for having better winter hardiness than most bermuda grass cultivars in commerce. It features dark green blades. It typically forms a dense sod. It remains greener longer in fall before entering dormancy. It was developed and subsequently introduced by an Oklahoma State University bermuda grass breeding program (in part funded by the USGA) which sought to develop bermuda grasses with improved winter hardiness.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. White grubs are the most common insect problem. Additional insects of concern include sod webworms, cutworms, armyworms, nematodes and mole crickets. Watch for mites. Brown patch and dollar spot are infrequent disease problems. Reportedly has good resistance to spring dead spot disease. Bermuda grass can spread invasively in the landscape. Notwithstanding the much improved winter hardiness of 'Yukon', it still will suffer significant winter kill during unusually cold winters in the St. Louis area.
Garden Uses
Turfgrass for southern areas of the U. S. for lawns, golf courses, commercial sites and parks.