Identifying Common vs. Hybrid Bermudagrass

Why Mowing Height Differs

Grass anatomy: crown (brown) at soil → stem (brown/yellow) → blade (green). Common bermuda has a ~1-inch stem, so recommended mowing is 1–2 inches (let grow to 3 inches, cut weekly to 2). Hybrids have low crowns and short stems, allowing ½-inch mowing with green foliage remaining.

Can You Overseed Hybrid Into Common?

No. Hybrid bermudas (Tifway, Tifgreen) are sterile—no viable seed. To convert, you must strip the lawn and lay sod. Try a 3-day mowing schedule on common bermuda for a couple weeks; if it's always brown after cutting, accept a higher cut.

How to Tell Them Apart

• Let a patch grow un-mown for a week. Common sends up many seedheads; hybrid sends few.
• Tap seedheads onto black paper. Common releases yellow pollen cloud; hybrid is sterile (no pollen).
• Side-by-side, hybrid shows deeper green color.