Bermuda grass and crabgrass are two of the most popular lawns in the United States. These two lawns have some similarities and differences, which can help you decide if one is better than the other.

The main difference between them is the way in which they grow. Crabgrass grows in dense clumps, while Bermuda grass grows in dense rows.

Here’s a look at some things to consider when deciding on the particular grass to grow on a lawn.

How Do I Identify Bermuda Grass?

Bermudagrass can be identified by its coarse texture. The seed head resembles a bird’s foot. Bermuda grass has small hairs where the leaf blade meets the leaf sheath.

It can flourish in full, direct sunlight and has superior humidity, heat, and salt tolerance. The Bermuda grass is always aggressive above-ground roots known as stolons. It spread by creeping.

How To Identify Crabgrass

Crabgrass is rough-textured under the foot. it grows annually and aggressively if not controlled. 

A Crabgrass is a weed that grows in dense clumps with long, green leaves. Some think it is a wide-bladed weed grass but it’s not. It is long and rough in texture.

Bermuda Grass Vs Crabgrass (Differences)

The key difference between Bermuda grass and crabgrass is a common question we get asked. 

This can be a confusing topic as there are two types of grass that are commonly used in landscaping; Bermuda and crabgrass. Explore the differences below:

• Crabgrass grows in dense clumps with long, green leaves while Bermuda grass grows typically in uniform coverage.
• Bermuda grass lawn produces a thick and lovely turf, whereas crabgrass is a weed that grows everywhere and produces a rough textured leaf.
• When you care for Bermuda grass properly, it feels great under your feet, whereas crabgrass is rough-textured under the foot.
• Bermuda grass thrives and grows best in the south, while crabgrass weed grows in all climates and anywhere.
• Crabgrass thrives well in all conditions and soil types but Bermuda is a warm-season grass species that is mostly grown in the southern United States.
• Bermuda needs full direct sunlight to thrive well and soil with excellent drainage whereas Crabgrass can doesn’t need much sunlight.

Similarities Between Bermuda Grass And Crabgrass

There are several similarities between Bermuda Grass And Crabgrass and they are:

1. The two plants grow quickly
2. Both plants can bully and overwhelm other plants.
3. They can both take over your lawn if not controlled or cared for.
4. Both grass species can make for a great, thick, and beautiful lawn if you control it properly.

How Crab Grass Spreads and Grows

The smooth crabgrass or the large crabgrass are the two common varieties of crabgrass family found in North America 

Both are annual plants that spread wide when the weather gets warmer from seeds deposited the previous year. If not correctly cared for, they can take over the lawn.

As an annual plant, it germinates and dies in a single season. They are usually killed off by the first frosts of the fall.

During the summer, the crabgrass seed heads which have carpeted your entire lawn will be waiting to get started again.

Bermuda Grass and How It Thrives & Spreads

This grass type is a warm-season variety tolerant to drought, humidity, heat, humidity, and salt.

Bermuda grass is a perennial grass that grows from late spring to summer before becoming dormant again in the fall.

It has smooth leaves with a medium texture at the base of the leaf blades that give it a great feeling on bare feet.

The leaves are dark green during the growing season and can stay green in a frostless area. In other regions, it will turn brown after the first frost through winter until spring.

Bermuda grass spreads by ‘creeping’ while Crabgrass is spread by seed. And the creeping spread can be very quick with aggressive growth habits.

It spreads through underground rhizomes below the ground and stolons above, by filling in turf patches and bare spots in the process.

That means you need to care for it so it won’t invade driveways, sidewalks, flower beds, and anywhere you don’t need it. It can become a nuisance if not cared for.

Maintaining Bermuda Grass Lawns

The Bermuda lawn grass needs high maintenance and the ways to maintain it are:

1. It will need regular care, attention, and feeding during the growing season.
2. Mow it twice a week to keep it at an ideal size. Set the mower blade at 1 to 1 1/2 inches for home yard lawns.
3. To avoid it going dormant and turning brown during drought, water it on a regular basis with several inches of water.
4. Install proper lawn edging. This will prevent it from spreading to unwanted areas. Once it does, you will have a lot of work to do.

How to Prevent or Control Crabgrass

If you don’t want Crabgrass in your lawn and wish to get rid of it or control it, you can do the following:

1. Smooth Crabgrass can grow in a poorly maintained environment, so get rid of it once it starts to germinate.
2. If you want to keep it, care for it, and mown it thrice a week because even if it’s unhealthy, it will still grow and spread quickly.
3. You can also use a pre-emergent herbicide to tackle it.

What Kind of Grass is Bermuda?

Bermuda is a perennial grass. It grows by creeping. It looks beautiful and great when taken care of.

If you want to grow a lawn, but want to grow something different, then you should consider growing Bermuda Grass. 

One of the main differences between Bermuda Grass and other types of grass is that it looks great when cared for and grows too fast for most people. This makes it perfect for people who want a fast-growing lawn and don’t have much time for frequent mowing.

What Kind of Grass is Crabgrass?

Crabgrass is an annual weed. As an annual grass, it dies off each year. It grows in early summer, usually, in the month of June when soil temperatures rise to 50° Freheniet.

Which Should You Choose Between Bermuda Grass Vs Crabgrass?

Many lawn and gardeners are familiar with the sight of Bermuda grass and Grab grass in their yards. But are they healthy options for every lawn? 

You’d probably be surprised at the answer to that question. Bermuda grass is what we will recommend you plant on your lawn. It looks amazing when taken care of and is not rough on the foot. 

Bermuda is one of the many perennial, non-toxic competitive grass species available on the market today, especially in southern America.

Conclusion 

There are many types of grasses you can use for decoration purposes, but which one will work best for your yard? The two most popular types of grasses that homeowners use for landscaping are crabgrass and Bermuda grass. 

But we recommend you use Bermuda grass. The reason is that it looks great and neat when cared foot. It is also coarse and soft under the foot, unlike Crabgrass which is rough under the foot.

One of the biggest gardening questions I get asked is, “How to grow  Bermuda grass?” When growing Bermuda grass in your garden, it is important to understand how to handle perennial weeds. 

Starting off, both of these weeds are aggressive performance grasses that are resistant to the most common herbicidal sprays.

They have a higher tolerance rate towards glyphosate while at the same time, they are less tolerant of many other types of pesticides utilized on turf.

Proper care and maintenance of the Bermuda grass in your lawn will keep it looking beautiful and attractive.