Jimmy’s Pharm Facts : Love or Hate Bahia?

Jimmy FlemingI have a pet peeve to share with you this month.  But, before you start to think this is going to be a negative read, let me encourage you to read on.   I might have some information that would be a solution to one of your pet peeves as well.

Back in the early 1960’s, Lindale was introduced (or infected by, depending on who you ask) to a grass called Bahia.  There is an on going love hate relationship with Bahia.  Some love it, and some hate it.  Bahia is that dark green low growing grass that looks like a manicured baseball field when it is freshly mowed. But (picture it), it’s two days later and looks like the grass is dancing to the YMCA song, because the whole area is covered in skinny little green shoots that look like a giant Y. 

Bahia grass was originally brought to Lindale from Florida by cattle ranchers to grow in bottom lands for livestock grazing.  It was very palatable to the grass loving animals.  You could almost see your cows smile as they chewed their cud. On one hand, it was hardy, grew well and spread easily. But on the other hand, it was hardy, grew well and spread easily.  The exact traits that some people loved about Bahia, made others pull their hair out. (It’s a known fact that Bahia caused most of the male pattern baldness in Lindale, including myself.)

For some the positives became negatives….and this is how it happened, at least in my mind.  First, the wind blew, and seed was blown from the Bahia grazing pasture over the river and through the woods to the pristine coastal Bermuda fields.  Then someone hired to mow brush, piggybacked seed from a Bahia field they had just mowed to their next job mowing someone else’s property.  After they went home, they parked their tractor and mower in their front yard.  As time passed they mowed their yard with their lawn mower, and then mowed their neighbor’s and mother-in-law’s yard.  You get the picture? So now it’s everywhere!  In many places it wasn’t intended to be.  It’s on the sides of the road, at the city parks, at the state parks, in the garden, around the pond and so on and so on.

I’ve learned much about Bahia over the years and I’m sad to say the hard way.  If you don’t have it, you’re one of the lucky ones. To prevent it, you’ve got to give your hay baling equipment a bath if you’ve been somewhere suspect.  Drive that lawn mower through the car wash after you have mowed that vacant lot.  If you’re grandchildren show up with white socks that look like they are covered in black ants, that’s a tell tale sign they have just run through a Bahia patch and probably have seed in their shoes. If you’ve already got it and don’t want it, take action! You’ve basically got two options, if you see a Y pop up in your yard, get a plastic sack, follow that skinny shoot to the ground and pull it up from the root. Or, come on down to the feed store and we can help you find just what you need to spot spray your lawn or stop that party in your hay pasture!!

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