Question
Hi Charlotte:

I bought a house 3 years ago and it had been sodded with Bermuda.  70% of the yard is fine, but in the back yard, half of it was sodded with a different batch of Bermuda and it's been sparse at best and even has a lighter color.  I'd like to seed with Bermuda grass, and I've been told to use Common Hulled Bermuda, but I don't have any experience in doing so.  I live in SC and the Bermuda is just beginning to come out of its dormant stage.

Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated!

Chuck

Answer
Hi chuck;
Ok, who told you to use that Burmuda?
If it was a friend who has it in their yard, what does their's look, like?
If it was a nurseryman there, is it a nurseryman most people in the area go to because he.she knows their business?
Or was it someone you struck up a conversation with in the home depot checkout line? LOl
Lot of difference there, and a long long drawn out way of asking is this someone who knows about growing grass in that area?
I don't know that much about burmuda grass varieties.
There are many varieties now, where there used to not be.
My daughter had one variety of burmuda in her yard, that likes shade and will grow fine with just 3 or 4 hours of shade a day.
Usually, a lighter color means a deficiency in iron. Your back yard may be needing some more iron.
also, do you have a lot of shade back there?
Grass needs at least 5 to 6 hours of sun per day, minimum to grow well. That could be causing the bare spots.
Tree roots that have come close to the surface will rob grass and other plants of nutrients, and of course shade from a tree will cause the grass to thin our and/or die.
If your soil is loose enough, and desn't have too high a clay content, and has plenty of sun so grass will grow well, i would think overseeding with burmuda would work fine.
I have st. augustine and have had for the last 40 yers, so I don't remember much about trying to grow burmuda.
In other areas i lived in i had blue grass. I really haven't had that much experience with burmuda, and i don't seed. every time I tried to put down grass seed, the birds ate it all, so i use sod pallets, and when it is thin in spots, i plug in sod plugs.
Hvae you used weed killers in your back yard? Most weed killers will damage if not kill the grass.
I would suggest a good organic fertilizer, putting down the sugar and watering well. Burmuda spreads by runners, and if you have good rich loose soil, and plenty of sun, watering deep to encourage a deep root system and mowing frequently and low ( 2&1/2 inches at most) will help it to spread faster. It should fill in those bare spots in a short time.
If there is too much shade, see about pruning out some of the tree limbs, cutting down or pruning shrubbery that shades it to get more sun on it to help it grow.
Clay soil is one big problem, and if you have clay soil, you need to do some things to loose that up first, or you will never have a plush thick lawn.
If that is the problem, write me back and we will get into some more remedies.
Also, write me back if you need further help, or have more questions or need clarifying on anything i have told you.
Charlotte