killing burmuda grass
- bibbus11
- copperbaron
- DeborahT
- luv2skydv
- mikejoyne
- BenR14
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» bibbus11 - burmuda grass
I have moved into a new house and want to make a couple of raised beds for organic vegetables. Unfortunately the lawn is full of burmuda grass. I had planned to kill it with roundup but read that the residue stays in the soil several years. What can I do now to kill the grass and still plant this year?-- posted by bibbus11
» copperbaron - Re: burmuda grass
In response to message posted by bibbus11:You can try "post" or "over the top", but I'm not certain how organically friendly it is. Another, more organically friendly option, is to buy some clear plastic and cover the area with it. Leave it on during one summer and then put in the raised beds later on. Another option is to cover the area with a whole lot of newspaper thick enough that it will take a while to break down. This is probably the most organically friendly option as you get rid of some waste stream (newspaper) and don't generate any (clear plastic). It also has the advantage that you can build the beds and plant sooner. However, the clear plastic has the advantage of killing other weeds and weed seeds and also fumigating the soil.
-- posted by copperbaron
» DeborahT - Re: burmuda grass
In response to message posted by copperbaron:I'd go with a nuclear bomb. No seriously, that's the only way you can rid yourself of Bermuda grass. Bermuda will send runners for 5, 10, 15 feeet or more. So if it's anywhere in your lawn it will find your garden. Don't delude yourself that you can kill it around your garden and leave it in the rest of your lawn. My advice is to kill it in your entire lawn. You can cover it with black plastic and leave it for the summer. Your neighbors might not appreciate this. You can try using rye (not annual rye grass, but the actual grain) and plant and then till in. Do this for a few years and it should kill most of the plants in your yard becuase of some chemical it produces. Extra fresh, really hot manure has worked for some people. I'm sure your neighbors would love you if you spread it all over, about 12" deep on your yard. If you decide to dothis, goon along vacation :-)
However, if these seem a bit extreme for you, here are some other ideas. Forget the newspaper idea. It won't work. Sorry, been there done that. Eventually the bermuda will grow right through the newspaper. I controlled the Bermuda grass (OK, I coexisted with it) by covering my garden with several layers of newspaper and then nothing else, no mulch at all. (Use rocks tohold it down) The newspaper dries out and it takes all summer for the Bermuda to drill through it. If you cover it with mulch (No matter how deep) the Bermuda will grow up through it. then you'll have Bermuda growing up into your beds. I used cloth mulch in some places ;and the only plant that grew through it was Bermuda. Argh. You can also very carefully remove every last piece of Bermuda from your lawn. Or just your garden area. It helps if your soil has a fair amount of organic matter in it. Finally, you might try tilling, constantly, every day all summer. and do it deeply, like 12" so you have a chance of destroying every little shred of Bermuda grass grwoing under ground. Because if you miss even one piece, it will take over every place you don't want it. But it won't survive the weeds in your yard.
needless to say, I'm not a big fan of Bermuda grass.
Yes, Round up will elave residues in your soil. It can also harm you and your family.
-- posted by DeborahT
» BenR14 - burmuda grass
In response to burmuda grass posted by bibbus11:Over four years too late, but, for any other bermuda grass sufferers out there...
My suggestion is to:
1. Dig up the bermuda grass as much as possible
2. Pull out as many of the bermuda root systems as you can find.
3. Put down TWO layers of cardboard (I used broken-down boxes from a bookstore)
4. Cover the cardboard with mulch.
Ideally, you would just let things be for awhile before planting anything in there. Underneath the cardboard, the bermuda grass will live on, turning white and frantically searching for daylight. Sometimes, a stolon will find its way out. Don't panic. Just carefully lift up the cardboard and yank as much of the bermuda grass out as you can. Eventually, it will be so weak that it (alas) cannot go on.
-- posted by BenR14
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