A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Get rid of Bermuda Grass

Hi All,

It seems everyone wants to know how to care for their Bermuda grass, but I want to get rid of what I have. It is very invasive and it came over from my neighbor's yard. It sneaks into my flower beds and landscaping and I'm trying to stop it. I keep digging and tilling, but the roots must go down to China. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

patches1414

patches...bermuda is the worst weed I know of. It's also just about the only grass for sunny lawns that we have in Oklahoma.
You can knock it out fairly well by "solarizing," tilling an area and then covering it with clear plastic during the spring. You have to use barriers to keep it out of garden beds and rows. A good edging that goes at least 4 inches into the ground cuts down on 90% of it, and the deeper the edging goes, the better.
I don't use chemicals, but an all purpose herbicide like Roundup will kill it.

I have some that has been covered up after being tilled since the end of summer last year and it is still alive.

How about Johnson grass got any tips on getting rid of that stuff???? The roots are horrible to dig up and if you miss a small piece or break on off aq small piece, you are back where you started from.

Doesn't roundup stay in the soil??? And doesn't it make it hard to grow anything else there??? Or are talking about like around the edges of things???

No, my neighbor used Roundup and I think there are different varieties depending on what you want to accomplish. Anyway, he wanted to kill the lousy grass and weeds in his front yard and start from scratch. After he sprayed the Roundup all he had to do was wait about 24 hours before planting new grass seed. I was with him and his wife when they went to Lowes to see about this and they were very helpful. All you would have to is call someplace like that and ask.

Have a GREAT day!!!

patches1414

Roundup's structure changes when it contacts soil, so it only kills what it was sprayed on. I do everything organically, so I don't use it. There are lots of stories about Roundup being a fairly nasty chemical, and about what the residue it leaves consists of, and I don't know what the truth of that is: the makers say it's totally safe, so who knows what's true.
As for Johnson grass, it really is tough, but roundup is listed for just about any plant.

There is a product called 'Grass Getter'. It can be sprayed over-top of ornamentals. Be careful to keep it off of desired grass.

Also, it needs some 'Spray Grip' to help it stick. After about 2 weeks, the bermuda grass dies. Then it can be pulled easily. I trace a piece to the root then pull up all the runners from that root at once.

I had a problem once with Bermuda grass taking over a flower bed. I got tired of dealing with it;so, i put down that fabric that's supposed to stop weeds from growing. That was a complete waste of time with Bermuda grass. It grew right through it!
Finally, i mixed up a powerful dose of roundup and thoroughly sprayed EVERYTHING! I sprayed bermuda grass and flowers. I killed them all. It actually took about 3 three sprayings before i finally got control and eliminated the bermuda completely.
Of course, u know that round -up works best during the growing season when the plants are green and the temperatures are warm.... good luck!

Hey Bob,

Boy, do I ever know what you're talking about! I did the same thing about five years ago with the landscaping fabric and I was real proud of myself because I thought I had eliminated the problem. Was I ever wrong! Last year, when I discovered some more popping up in my bed I removed some of the mulch and lifted the fabric and found I had provided an excellent new place for a healthy and huge crop of Bermuda grass to grow. I was a mess and I had to tear out all the landscaping fabric. When I did that I was amazed to see that it was already starting to break through the fabric. I think I'm engaged in a war that I'm never going to win!

patches1414