Question
Hi Charlotte,
I live in Central Texas and just moved into our new house.  Our lawn is only four weeks old and we are experiencing lots of nutgrass and Johnson grass.  In reading your past questions, I found the sugar idea and am going to try it.  How often do you suggest applying the sugar?
Also, could you give me some guidelines to watering our Bermuda lawn throughout the year?

Answer
Hi Amy;
In the dormant stage, grass and shrubs will still need water, so if it has not rained in a 2 or 3 weeks, I water my lawn.
ALL grasses will develope a deep root system if you water deeply, to a depth of at least 6 inches.
A deep root system will help protect against heat, cold and drought damage.
When the top 3 or 4 inches of soil are dry, there is still moisture down where the roots are.
In the growing season, I water to that depth, once a week.
Burmuda will actually develope a deeper rot system than St. Augustine will.
I apply the sugar each fall and spring.
That will do away with the weeds because they like poor soil and will not thrive long in rich soil.
If you are going to use an organic program, you must use either or.
If you use any chemical products, it will undo the benefits of the organics.
Apply sugar and water it in now, do it again in early spring, as soon as greenup starts or even before, and you should have fewer weeds come up in the sp[ring, and they will start to die out right away.
In a couple of years, none will even bother to come up, if you stick to the organic program.
Alfalfa meal and lava sand will add nutrients to your soil.
You should not need fertilizers, but organic products do not burn like chemical products do if you apply too much, so if you do use an organic fertliizer, it will not buildup and do any harm. It will only add nutrients.
Corn Gluten Meal adds a lot of nutrients and also kills molds and fungus. Apply it at the rate of 10 pounds per 1000 sq.ft of soil in the spring to prevent fungus and molds.
Alfalfa meal you will need to go to a feed store for, but should be able to get lava sand at nurseries or Walmart.
Charlotte