Expert: Ronald B Persaud - 10/14/2009

Question
im over some baseball fields in a small town in texas. im proud to say our fields are comparable to those ran by a big city nearby. my ? is since bermudagrass is classified as a weed, and since weeds dont thrive in rich soil, will it hurt my infield if i use sugar on it? im liking the organic route since this is safe for the kids. also ive heard that baking soda is a great defense for fungus. how do i use this? we just dont have the money to buy high dollar chemicals. also i have spots where nutgrass is growing up in small parts. will the sugar help combat this?

Answer
Organic methods can be looked upon as one tool in a tool box that has a few other tools. Such others are chemical, cultural, manual and mechanical. Bermuda grass can be classified as a weed or a highly desirable turf depending upon context. The same qualities which make it a desirable turf in one situation make it a huge headache in the other.
So you have bermuda turf and you want to work out a organic program of fertilizing, weed and insect control. Regrettably I cannot help you much with that (no experience). But the County Extension Office can. I do know that an organic program requires regular and rigorous inspection (scouting). Also the products are slower in action than say, chemicals. But it is a worthwhile and rewarding process in terms of environmental and human health issues.