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My Bermuda grass keeps declining in the sides of my yard but is growing great in the center of the front & back. The same pattern of growth is occurring to all of my neighbors as well.

I live in a new construction in central Texas that is six months old. Neighboring houses were built slightly before ours. All houses have sprinkler systems which operate. During construction, our ground was graded and a layer of topsoil & manure was laid before squares of Bermuda.

For example, the house nextdoor was built before ours and still vacant. The builder has the sprinkler active and maintains the yard. The same pattern of death on the side yards is occurring.

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  • How much sun does the side yard get?
    – Bamboo
    Aug 21, 2017 at 14:34
  • Would you please post some pictures, including the front and back yard, and a close look at the sides where the grass is growing poorly? Thanks!
    – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
    Aug 21, 2017 at 16:56
  • I'll take some pics today when I get home and will report back. The sides absolutely don't get as much full direct sun as the middle of the yards, but there are no trees and it's also high summer. Also, this is occuring on all of our yards.
    – name goes here
    Aug 21, 2017 at 17:09

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Could be something like alkaline concrete in or near the surface of the soil affecting plant growth? often if a hidden wall is exposed to a lot of water it leaches out salts from the gypsum within the concrete itself- it shows as a white dusting on the surface of the wall and can burn roots and shoots nearby? Or it could be a chemical preservative used on the fences/wooden surfaces being washed off onto the ground? or a weedkiller applied during clearance when the boundaries where put in? without photos it would near impossible to see what it is?

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The thing about bermuda grass is, it likes full sun; if it doesn't get full sun, it doesn't photosynthesize properly and starts to become patchy and dies out in places. On the assumption that the areas where its disappearing don't receive sun all day, that's the likeliest explanation I'm afraid. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/much-sun-bermuda-grass-need-75412.html

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  • This seems to be the most likely explanation. The area is either shaded by the house or fence. But then when the sun is directly overhead it gets full sun.
    – name goes here
    Aug 21, 2017 at 17:39
  • As the link describes, it needs more than 4 hours direct sun every day, as much as possible...
    – Bamboo
    Aug 21, 2017 at 18:48
  • Could also the sharp disparity between shade, then full sun for couple hours, then shade be an issue?
    – name goes here
    Aug 21, 2017 at 19:14
  • Unlikely - its the total length of exposure time to sunlight
    – Bamboo
    Aug 21, 2017 at 19:39

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