Can anyone tell me how to get rid of Bermuda grass?

Question

I am planning on planting a large vegetable garden in the spring, but our place is covered in Bermuda grass. Is there any way to get rid of it organically? Will plowing and discing do the job? Or do I just have to resign myself to constant hoeing?

Answer 1

I am a farmer that has battled bermuda grass. I have tried many different chemicals with little results. I know you don't want to hear this but the only way to really get rid if it is to lay out the land for one year. During this time you will need to plow the ground at least twice a week to keep the roots exposed to the dry air. So you probably will want to do this a little at a time according to the equipment you have available to you. Persistence pays. You have to stay after it. I have cleaned up a lot of acres doing this. Bermuda loves good land. Good land is worth fighting for.

Answer 2

The closest to effective organic that you can get is Vapam, and that's not very organic. Vapam is a soil inoculant. You mix it with water, spread it over the tilled area where the grass was growing, and water it in deeply. The liquid mixture turns into a gas and kills everything living in the soil - including earth worms. However, it dissipates and leaves no residue...according to the manufacturer. I've used it many times and it works.

You probably already know about Roundup and related topical products. Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup, says it is perfectly safe, but I never use it around my vegetables or fruit trees.

One way that I have had success with is following rototilling, I cover the entire area with black plastic and anchor down the edges. The intense heat produced by the black plastic kills everything down to about three inches. Worms just dig deeper and live. However, it takes a long time, and to have the heat, you need the sun, and by the time you have sufficiently fried the bermuda grass, your planting season is half over.

Regular tilling of your garden followed by raking and elimination of the rhizomes (bermuda grass roots and stems) will do a pretty good job. Mulching will help. Use black plastic and let the sun get to it (that is, don't cover it up with soil or grass clippings), but keep it away from the base of plants as it can burn them.

Organic mulches of two inches or more will suffocate the bermuda grass, but will also keep air from circulating. Organic mulches of less than two inches may not suffocate the grass.

Drip watering systems send water to the vegetable plant and not the entire garden. That discourages grasses and weeds between plants.

I've been gardening and fighting bermuda grass for 30 years. Those are the best ideas I have. You may not be able to be entirely free of it, but you can keep it in check.

Good luck and good gardening.

Answer 3

I had the same problem and called the local extension office to find out what to do about it. They said that the best way is to till the area, then rake up the bermuda sprigs and dispose of them. The thing about bermuda grass is that if you chop the rhizomes into 5 pieces with a hoe, then all five pieces become 5 new plants. Every time you till the garden, just rake up the bermuda. You will probably never completely eradicate it, but you can manage it in this fashion.

Answer 4

Digging it out allways leaves some root material that will come back. Your best bet is to use a Round-Up like product at the lable rate (The Lable Is The Law) from a can sprayer. Keeping the nozzel close to the ground, on a still morning, will keep drift from causing colateral damage. All you need to do is coat the blades of grass, applying after runnoff just wastes the product. More is not better. Once it you see it dieing off, then a garden weasel to work the soil, pull the dead grass out and over seed with a mix you like. Tamping the soil and a light topdress with black dirt will help, since good seed soil contact is a must for germination. The earlier the better, since hot dry summers are the bane of newly seeded lawns. Bleugrass/fesceu both take around 21 days to start germinatiojn, and another 3 weeks to harden off. Keep the soil moist.

Answer 5

You sound like you have been hoeing for a long time. The only sure way to get rid of Bermuda grass is by purchasing a Bahama grass snake. The two are polar opposites and cancel each other out when they come in contact with one another. But I say as long as the money is still good, continue hoeing as long as possible.

Answer 6

Bermuda is a toughie...

I fixed mine with cement.
Just plain cemented it over.
Haven't had a problem since.

Regards,
Zah

Answer 7

try using round-up on it