Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Best Bermuda for TX Dam?

What variety should I get? This will not be mowed so would something short be better? Are some more drought tolerant than others? Soil is a blackland clay.

Native seems to not get as leggy as some, not sure any is that drought tolerant
Bahia seems to be better than Bermuda far as lack of watering but is a pain to cut

So which bahia would I want?

It just goes dormant in times of extreme drought which is fine as long as you have complete coverage.

Lol it just dies….. no dormant

There is more than one kind? Guess whatever you can find

Toledo
Probably go to any field and dig up a handful and let it go to seed, or a feed store should have some. You can’t get rid of the stuff once it gets going but your wash problem will be gone

I planted gobs of bermuda grass seed on a steep bank of my pond after having topsoil brought in to cover the clay. The grass seed took off and was pretty happy with the way it was going and then.....come to find out the topsoil I had brought in was from someones cow pasture or hay field and Bahia grass popped up EVERYWHERE!! It took over my Bermuda! Pat is right , bahia is harder to cut but... it is perfect on that steep bank to keep soil from washing away and...it is fast growing and does withstand heat really well. Matter of fact mine doesn't seem to start growing good until it gets hot! Just my experience and opinion. Good luck!

Bahia has very deep roots which makes it drought tolerant. It doesn't do great in clay but will grow there when other grasses won't. It is also very fast growing grass with its seed stalks jumping up a couple of inches a day when it really gets going(Might think about that if you want low growing). Like others have said it is a dominate grass and will crowd out other varieties. On the other hand if you want it to spread and fill in areas that might be a good thing as it produces prolific seeds on its seed heads. As Flame notes it is hard to cut. Sharp mower blades or multiple cuts will be necessary.

Toss up on what to plant. In this drought that could last all year you are going to have to water anything you plant to get it established.

Another option is monkey grass. It's tough as nails and spreads rapidly. We have used it for errosion areas. You'll need to plug plant it and then overseed with a grass while it gets going, but in a few years it will take over. Also, you don't need to mow it.

Any common Bermuda is fine. Bahia is hardy and drought tolerant, but IMO it is not as good as Bermuda at soil coverage and erosion protection. Bahia is more of a bunch grass. On earthen dam designs, we spec Bermuda for all of them.

Bermuda is best planted when nighttime temps reach 70F.

For Texas Blackland clay that won't be mowed, you'll need a challenging Bermuda variety that can handle the soil and the heat. My yard has a patch of Celebration Bermuda, which has thrived despite the harsh heat and my heavy clay soil. It's more tolerant to foot traffic and holds up against the drought conditions we sometimes face. Even with mowing, it can stay calm, which I appreciate for the low-maintenance aspect.

Remember to mow it every 2-3 days. It requires a lot of attention, and remember this golden rule: never cut more than one-third of the grass's height in a single mowing session to avoid stressing the grass.

Great thread, Toledo. I don’t mean to hijack it, but I have a similar question. I have a new small pond/dam and was considering Bermuda, but I don’t know about that “Celebration” variety, Nina. Mow it every 2-3 days? Yeah, NO! 😉 My soil is more like powder when it’s dry. No clay. SW Texas. I like drought/heat tolerant though. It’s actually a must where I live. I could mow it a few times to help it along if necessary, but how long does it get if it’s completely left alone, other than an occasional water & fertilize? Thanks.

If you want something drought tolerant Bahia is the way to go… you can’t kill it and it spreads by seeds real quickly. I have it in the yard and when it’s dry it lives where real grass requires water to flourish