[Rightly Biased]

Thanks for the ping...

Question of the day... Cause I just don’t know

Bermuda Grass will not stay away tilling just makes it thicker and it seems even more robust after a till.

Other than pulling it which is futile at best.
What are my options?
My elderly neighbor said spray it with a herbicide but I do not want to hurt the soil... He said it will not but I want a second opinion.
Thoughts anyone?

[bgill]

Nothing kills Bermuda. When the world ends, the only thing left will be Bermuda grass and fire ants. The roots are too deep. If you’re trying to put in a garden on top of where Bermuda is, just prepare yourself for a lifetime of headaches. You just have to live with it. Good luck.

[greeneyes]

I don’t know anything about Bermuda Grass, except that it can be invasive. Maybe one of our more expert gardeners can chime in, if they post to the thread.

[DuncanWaring]

In my experience, the only non-herbicidal way to get rid of Bermuda grass is to physically remove the plants themselves.

Dig/turn it and remove as much soil from the roots as practical, then dispose of the plants.

Then, periodically dig up the remnant roots that resprout; the more of the root you can get each time the less remains to resprout.

Eventually, the remaining roots will die because they never can replenish their stored nutrients as you keep pulling the “green sprouts” at every opportunity.

It’s tedious.

[tubebender]

We have a noxious pest called Quake Grass or Joint Grass very similar to Bermuda Grass and after five years of digging and re-digging we went with the Round-up and in two years it was gone!!!

[WorkingClassFilth]

Go ahead and get some Round-Up. It's glyphosate and the EPA doesn't regard it as particularly dangerous to humans or animals. Look to see if the formulation you are using contains the surfactant POEA which has controversy regarding toxicity issues. Round-Up is something that works best when applied to actively growing broadleaf plants and grasses. It does break down very quickly and you don't need to fear it like the anti-Monsanto scare machine likes to pretend.

I use it and I consider my garden techniques as “natural” but not strictly organic. I always choose the softer path, if possible, but I will use appropriate chemicals when, and if, needed and then with strict attention to directions and local conditions (wind, time of day, etc.) Eradication is the goal and loss of labor involved in 19th century peasant agrarianism doesn't appeal to me. I work hard enough that I am not going to overlook all possible tools available. Use it in moderate schemes and continue on with soil building and other “organic” practices and you will have very little impact, if any.

Use caution, use care and use enough.

[tdscpa]

Roundup (or an equivalent glyphosate product) kills Bermuda grass. It does not affect your soil. It only kills green plants, including grasses. It is minimally effective on woody plants (trees).

Once it contacts soil it is done. Spray with it, and you can immediately plant seeds where you sprayed, and even transplant into the soil that was sprayed as long as the foliage does not contact the spray.

Bermuda grass is tough to control, but if you spray it 2-3 times several weeks apart, you can kill it. If you leave some alive near the treated area, it can invade again.

I use a small artist paintbrush to paint and kill Bermuda sprigs that grow under my fence foundation to infest my lawn and my garden from my utility easement, where I like to let it grow. (It needs little water, and I only have to mow it about five months/year.)