Bahia grass is not native to our part of the world

Most living things that are native to an area have a balance with the elements in that area. All the factors that go into growth and control are present in the place of origin, including sunlight, temperatures, soil fertility, and natural predators, and they keep one particular plant or animal from growing out of control and devouring the rest. They will grow to the outer edges of the region, until they reach a point where conditions are no longer favorable. The migration is slow and balanced. When humans intervene in the process, and move the living thing from one region to another, it may find hostile conditions where survival is not possible, or it may find conditions where it can grow out of control.

Kudzu, Johnson grass, and Bahia grass are some classic examples of this phenomenon, they were brought into this country as forage materials, and in our southern regions found conditions that turbocharged growth, with no natural predators. This is a recipe for disaster. In the absence of natural predators, it has been left up to humans to control, and the control costs have reached into the billions, and has not been very effective.

Like most plants and animals that are native to one region, and are then transferred to another, Bahia grass creates new problems for landowners, and an opportunity for creative control methods.

There are places in the world, Like Mexico and South America where Bahia grass is welcome because it is a native. There are some places in the U.S. where one strain of Bahia grass and it’s varieties are welcome as lawn and turf grasses, but in most of the southern United States, Bahia grass is a source of problems for homeowners, athletic field managers, and businesses with lawns.

Here in Texas Bahia grass has become a menace. It is difficult to control in this environment, and the problem has been exacerbated by our state department of transportation which uses the invader as a control for erosion along highways. Invariably, some of the grass reaches our Texas lawns where it presents problems for homeowners. The specific problem is the seed head stalks that can grow a foot or more in less than a week. The homeowner is left to either live with the problem, mow more frequently than otherwise needed, attempt to kill the Bahia grass, or attempt to control the growth of the seed heads by chemical means.

Living with the problem

In most cases this is not an option for homeowners, and can actually cause an increase in the amount of the weedy grass over time, but in rural areas where there are no home owners associations or neighbors to complain, this management technique can be employed.

Mowing more frequently

If you want to attack the problem of Bahia grass by mechanical means, you will need to increase your mowing frequency to match the speed at which the seed head stalks pop up. In some parts of the growing season, this will be about the same as a regular mowing schedule, but with ample rainfall or irrigation, and increasing sunlight and heat, it may mean mowing as many as 3 times per week just to keep the stalks from becoming a nuisance.

Killing Bahia grass

Killing the Bahia grass is one option, but before you run out to buy the chemicals to do this, you should be aware that it will probably require more than one application, that if the Bahia grass is the primary covering for the ground, there will be nothing growing there after it is killed, and the most likely things to replace it will be weeds if no other action is taken, and that it will return if extreme vigilance is not practiced with timely spot treatments. The seed can be transferred by wind, animals, and most often by mowing equipment that has not been washed after mowing an area that is contaminated with the invasive plant.

Controlling Bahia grass seed heads chemically

There are several chemicals which are labeled for the suppression of Bahia grass seed heads. The most popular was a product called Plateau which is now only available for industrial and commercial uses. Fortunately there is a common product available that will do the job quite well, and 2 applications will keep the seed heads at bay for an entire season. One of the many 41% glyphosate products on the market will do the job at a reduced rate of 2 to 4 ounces per acre. Before you do this, check the labels and make sure that the one you buy is labeled for Bahia grass seed head suppression, and then follow the label instructions to a “T”. One suggestion is to use the higher rates of water with the mixture. This seems to produce more uniform results with less damage to the desirable grasses. For such applications, additional surfactant is not usually desirable. Read the label for water amount recommendations and surfactant regulations to be certain, and stay with in the boundaries of the information provided.