Coastal Bermudagrass

Complete Description and Detailed Characteristics

Bermudagrass is a perennial grass that is frequently used for agriculture hay fields. The plants grow rapidly when termperatures are warm and moisture is abundant. The mature plants form dense mats with spreading and branching stolons that root at the nodes. The flowering spikes of bermudagrass radiate from a single point at the tip of the stem. The collar region of the bermudagrass has a fringe of short white hairs.

Coastal is a forage bermudagrass, which is a warm-season, deep-rooted perennial pasture grass used for grazing and hay in the South. Coastal bermudagrass is adapted to a variety of soils and provide as much or more grazing than any of the other summer pasture grasses. With today's improved bermudagrasses, it is not uncommon to graze up to one cow per acre during parts of the summer and then harvest up to three tons of hay per acre. The bermudagrasses are the easiest of all the grasses to manage, and they respond well to fertilizer and weed control programs. These grasses will not persist with limited or no management, as will bahiagrass.

Coastal is a hybrid that has been around for a long time and is used on a large acreage in Florida. The grass has been highly researched and can produce more than 300 cow-grazing days per acre per year. Hay yields of 5-6 tons per acre are not uncommon with Coastal bermudagrass. Coastal is a hybrid bermudagrass and does not produce viable seed. It has to be planted vegetatively. (For information on planting options, see our sprigging page.)

In the pasture rotational system, excess forage produced in a pasture can be harvested for hay. Normally, you should cut bermudagrass for hay every 4 weeks. At this interval, yield is adequate and protein content and digestibility of the bermudgrass have not significantly declined. Waiting longer than this significantly reducess the quality, even though yield may be increased.

*Information was gathered from our own observations and experiences as well as from the Agronomy Departments of the University of Florida and the University of Georgia.