'Princess 77' Bermudagrass: Homeowner Experiences and Reality Check

When a new grass hits the market without long-term university trials, recommending it is guesswork. In 2005, radio listeners shared their real-world results with 'Princess 77' seeded bermudagrass. This is not a scientific survey; results may not reflect reality.

Listener Reports

Success Story (Tyrone C.)

Planted Aug 2003: tilled, sprayed glyphosate, added lime/starter fertilizer, mixed seed with sand, broadcast, raked, strawed, rolled with tractor. Watered 7–14 days. Fertilized at 30 days. Result: dense, bluish-green, fine-textured lawn that outcompeted other seeds. Aerated and spot-sodded slopes later. Soil test corrected pH/fertility. Two years later: full, healthy lawn.

Mixed Results (Nancy H.)

Followed standard regimen. Very little germination initially. Pennington refunded money; blamed cool May temps. Reseeded—heavy late May/June rains hurt germination. ~30% came up and spread nicely. Plans to retry next spring.

Marginal Results (Jim Z.)

Planted 2,000 sq ft in late May: rototilled, added 15 cu yd topsoil, rototilled again, seeded with lime/starter fertilizer, rolled, light straw. Watered aggressively (3x/day → weekly over 10 weeks). Result: 60% cover, 1.5″ height at first mow. Enough for erosion control. Plans to aerate, add topsoil, soil test, and reseed next May; will sod if unsatisfied.

Poor Results (Dave in McDonough)

Overseeded Tifway 419 sod in July 2005: topdressed, applied pre-emergents, rolled seed, light straw. Record July rainfall (14.56″). Germination estimated at 5–8%. Very few sprouts in bare areas; none in overseeded areas.

Takeaway

Results vary widely. Soil prep, weather, and watering precision heavily influence success. 'Princess 77' can produce a fine, dense turf—but it's not foolproof.