Question
I live in the middle Georgia area.  This year I have taken on quite a bit of bahiagrass.  At least I am being told by neighbors that it is bahia.  It really does look bad because I can only get out to mow it once a week.  It groes so fast and seeds almost over night and it is starting to take over the yard.  The majority of the yard is centepede ( which kind I do not know)and used to look really nice.  Did I do something wrong to attract the bahia?  Is there a positive aspect to it?

Answer
Hi Eric W,

Bahia grass, like so many other species of the grass plant family, need have only one or a few plants to go to seed to start many hundreds or thousands of more individuals.  This seed is sometimes included in wild bird and pet-bird seed mixes, and this may have been how it got to your property. Or perhaps there are some Bahia patches in the neighborhood producing the seed which can be carried to other areas.

If a plant is un-wanted anywhere,...it is a "weed" and it is only the human mind that defines a plant's 'positive or negative aspects'.  Nature does not have such concerns and all species struggle to survive in spite of any and all human aesthetic or value judgements.  More scientifically considered,...It may be a good forage plant or help control soil erosion;... I do not know of any scientific studies for this grass specie.  Birds do eat the seeds.

To be rid of a weedy grassy or herbaceous plant use any one of the recommended herbicides sold at your local lawn and garden center which target grassy-type weeds (as opposed to 'broad-leaf' weeds).  

If the weed has formed dense patches in the lawn, you can use a chemical called 'glyphosate' (aka 'ROUND-UP').  This will leave a dead, bare earth area where the weeds were and you will have to re-seed or sod with wanted grasses.

You may want to establish a more conventional and easier to maintain lawn in Georgia by using cultivars of BERMUDA GRASS.  With this you can eliminate most of the grassy weeds that pop-up by spraying with an arsenate salt such as MSMA, DSMA or CaMA (ORTHO). These herbicides will blanch BERMUDA but kill-off most other problem weedy grasses.
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With a good fertile-loamy well draining top-soil, best quality hybrid grass type(s), 1-3 inches of water per week, plenty of sun-light, ...almost anyone can have an excellent lawn with a minimum maintenance effort.
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I Hope this has answered your question(s)!

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