Question
We have a newly sodded burmuda grass lawn. It has some weeds springing up mistly between the sod pieces. Can I use any type of broad leaf weed killer to kill these weeds,or do I have to use a special kind. The burmuda is just starting to green up but the viney weeds are growing great.

Answer
Hi Gary,

>>"....bermuda is just starting to green up..."

Bermuda grass is extremely hardy.  In fact in most locations only a cold-spell will pose a threat to its invasiveness and vigor.  This healthy state requires night temperatures in the mid-fifties. Zones 5-8 are not safely out of the hard-freeze possibility yet.   If your sod is brand-new and NOT well rooted, one cold night could set it back and having some herbicide chemicals in the top-soil would not be recommended.  New sod has a lot of adjusting to do to get well established.

 I usually recommend that the use of all chemicals and fertilizers be suspended until the sod is well-rooted and can pass the 'Tug-Test'.  This means it has extended its roots into the existing top-soil base enough to keep it from being easily manually up-rooted. With adequate temperatures, watering, sun and a non-compacted top-soil base, most Bermuda sod will be well-rooted within a couple of weeks.  Use a string trimmer to slash-back any weeds until then to be on the safe side. Keep them from making flowers and seeds, and they will be under control.

 Sod can be expensive and a hassle to patch-up the failed areas, and you do not to have to wonder ipso-facto if it was the weed-killer that caused problems.  You will have plenty of opportunities to fight the never-ending war with the weeds in a couple of weeks, and by then the temperatures in the soil should be warmed-up, the sod should be able to pass the Tug-Test and there should be no problems with mowing OR using chemicals on the established sod.

Incidentally, a weedy plant categorized as a 'viney-weed' may not be also classified as a BROAD-LEAF weed. The safest herbicide chemical to use on Bermuda grass is the old-standard for Broad-Leaf weeds called '2-4-D',... and this chemical is in many complex formula mixes these days.  It is only good for Broad-Leaf weeds, and your 'viney-weed' may not be controlled by this chemical.

To properly fight weeds, identify the weedy plant and find a chemical which will target that weed precisely.
Use these WEBSITES with IMAGES to help identify common weeds:

http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/weeds/index.html
http://www.psu.missouri.edu/fishel/ornamentals.htm
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/county/smith/tips/turf/summerweed.html
http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/weed-id/weedid.htm
http://www-aes.tamu.edu/mary/Wdid.htm
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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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