United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

1351A Highway 146 Bypass Liberty, Texas 77575 PH. (409) 336-9145 Ext.3 FAX (409) 336-7224

Bahia Grass

Paspalum notatum

July 2000

Description: Bahia grass is a warm-season, perennial grass with short, stout, horizontal rhizomes which form a dense, tough sod. It is aggressive and will crowd out other weeds and grasses when well established.

Varieties:

Pensacola

Argentina

Paraguay

Tifton 9

Tifton 440

Adaptation: Bahia grass is well adapted to the high rainfall conditions of East Texas and the coastal Prairie. It performs well on a wide variety of soils. It may perform better than Coastal, Jiggs, or Tifton 85 on wet soils with poor drainage. Bahia will also do well on sandy soils of low fertility; however, production will be reduced during dry periods. The Bahias are not well adapted to deep sands over 36 inches deep.

Planting:

Date: Yearlong

Rate: Drilled or broadcast - 15 lbs. PLS(Pure Live Seed) per acre

Depth: ¼ to ½ inch deep

Seedbed: Offset or tandem disk land 3 to 6 inches deep according to soil conditions.

Preparations: Allow land to firm by rainfall, or rolling. A well prepared, weed-free firm seedbed is important for a successful grass stand.

Fertilizer and Line: Fertilizer and lime should be applied at rates recommended from a recent soil test. In the absence of soil test, spread one ton of lime prior to seedbed preparation. Apply 40 N, 40P, 40 K on clay or clay loam soils and 40 N, 40 P, 40 K on all other soils for establishment. Fertilizer for establishment should be applied prior to planting. If weedy competion is expected, nitrogen fertilizer may be delayed until the grass begins to grow.

Planting Methods: Seed may be drilled with a grass seed drill or broadcast seeder. Soil should be firmed by rolling with press wheels, cultipacker or rollers immediately afterseeding. Fall plantings can be in combination with suitable annual legumes and/or grass winter cover crops.

Management: Protect from grazing until plants are well established and not easily pulled up by livestock. Control weeds to reduce competition. Do not use herbicides until most plants are six weeks old or have reached the our-leaf stage. Graze lightly first growing season and graze no closer than 2 ½ inches after establishment. Apply fertilizers as needed for production according to a current soil test recommendation.

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