Spot treatment of Bermuda grass?

[jonwb]

Hi all... I have a xeriscape project in which half my lawn has been removed and will eventually be replaced with a few Drought Tolerant plants and Recycled rock. You can see from the picture that I still have a ways to go to clear it. However it's the Bermuda grass that I'm most concerned with. Fortunately, it's only in certain areas and I can avoid planting in those until it's safe to do so.

Can I spot-treat the Bermuda with Round-Up (or another product) as long as I avoid putting plants near those areas short term? Or, would you suggest another method?

Thanks

 

[Chuck]

Hi all... I have a xeriscape project in which half my lawn has been removed and will eventually be replaced with a few Drought Tolerant plants and Recycled rock. You can see from the picture that I still have a ways to go to clear it. However it's the Bermuda grass that I'm most concerned with. Fortunately, it's only in certain areas and I can avoid planting in those until it's safe to do so.

Can I spot-treat the Bermuda with Round-Up (or another product) as long as I avoid putting plants near those areas short term? Or, would you suggest another method?

Thanks

View attachment 107796

Bermuda is notoriously hard to eliminate. It spreads 2 ways, on the top of the ground by stolons and underground by rhizomes. For me Roundup did not work. It killed the grass on top of the soil but thereafter the rhizomes moved into the dead area and the grass was back. I gave up on trying to poison it. I ended up by using solarization and that worked.

 

[jonwb]

Bermuda is notoriously hard to eliminate. It spreads 2 ways, on the top of the ground by stolons and underground by rhizomes. For me Roundup did not work. It killed the grass on top of the soil but thereafter the rhizomes moved into the dead area and the grass was back. I gave up on trying to poison it. I ended up by using solarization and that worked.

Thanks Chuck. Yes I've heard of that method. Can you tell me how long it took for the solarization to work? We have some high temperatures later this month.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks Chuck. Yes I've heard of that method. Can you tell me how long it took for the solarization to work? We have some high temperatures later this month.

If you use black plastic it "should" take about a month, depending on the temperature. A secret to using this method is to water the grass directly before laying down the plastic. This will encourage any seeds to germinate as well as to help "steam" the grass. To make sure I would leave the plastic on as long as possible.

 

[roadrunner]

I had Bermuda grass when I first started tearing up my yard to make it grass free. I rototilled the stuff and then heavily mulched with leaves. Then I planted a lot of stuff.

Bermuda grass has one major Achilles heel -- Shade. They cannot tolerate shade and is easily overgrown by other plants. My neighbor still has Bermuda and the only thing that separates us is a chain-link fence, which is absolutely no barrier. My plants keep the grass out.

Years later and I still don't have a problem with Bermuda and I never used any herbicide.

 

[cpp gardener]

You have several options:
Fusilade II
Envoy plus

If you solarize, water heavily and cover with clear plastic. It gets hotter and increases growth. Weaker growth dies faster and uses up stored nutrients.

 

[jonwb]

If you use black plastic it "should" take about a month, depending on the temperature. A secret to using this method is to water the grass directly before laying down the plastic. This will encourage any seeds to germinate as well as to help "steam" the grass. To make sure I would leave the plastic on as long as possible.

That's great... thanks! Black plastic, not Clear?

Also, after completing the steaming method, is there any barrier you would suggest (plastic, weed fabric, etc..) I put down before the recycled rock goes in?

 

[DrCase]

I have always just dug the Bermuda up like sod .i used a sharp shovel and moved it to another spot in the yard.

 

[Chuck]

That's great... thanks! Black plastic, not Clear?

Also, after completing the steaming method, is there any barrier you would suggest (plastic, weed fabric, etc..) I put down before the recycled rock goes in?

If you are going to cover with rocks or gravel I would just leave the black plastic there and dump the rocks on top. In fact, if ths be the case, put the plastic down and immediately put on the rocks. And where you want to plant something just remove the rocks and cut the plastic to the shape you want. This is after all chances of weeds or grass coming back has been stopped by the solarization. This will give you time to plan the shapes of the beds and decide what to plant And it will look better than just having an area covered with plastic. The reason to use black plastic is that it is possible for some weeds to actually grow under clear plastic but the black stops photosynthesis so it is impossible for a weed to live.

 

[cpp gardener]

Do Not leave the plastic in place! It stops gaseous exchange between the soil and air. Plant roots need air as well as water and nutrients.
It gets hotter under clear plastic than black plastic. Black plastic absorbs some of the heat and shades the soil keeping it cooler.

To really kill Bermudagrass, mix Fusilade, Poast (another graminicide) and Round-up according to directions for each. In a gallon of water use as much of each as the directions say per gallon. The combination does a super job. After the grass is dead, go ahead and remove it or plant through it.

 

[oneeye]

Hi all... I have a xeriscape project in which half my lawn has been removed and will eventually be replaced with a few Drought Tolerant plants and Recycled rock. You can see from the picture that I still have a ways to go to clear it. However it's the Bermuda grass that I'm most concerned with. Fortunately, it's only in certain areas and I can avoid planting in those until it's safe to do so.

Can I spot-treat the Bermuda with Round-Up (or another product) as long as I avoid putting plants near those areas short term? Or, would you suggest another method?

Thanks

View attachment 107796

For Roundup, to work and kill Bermudagrass the temperature needs to be Hot, at least 90F is the best kill temperature.