Salt Grass

If anyone knows how to KILL this horrid prickly invasive @#%$& stuff please let me know.

Are you talking about Distichlis spicata? Are you in a position to post a photo of the grass you want gone?

I don't have a digital camera, but i looked Distichlis spicata online and yes that is what i have.

Please tell me you know how to kill it :)

Will you share with me why you want it gone?

Where exactly is it located and how close to water is it?

We bought a house on an acre of it. No landscaping at all. We have planted 77 trees now and many bushes, however i haven't been able to successfully kill it in any area. I don't mind in and around the trees or in the open areas. My problem is that i have dug it (or tried to) and pulled it out of several areas in an attempt to put in a vegetable garden and a few flower beds. It is back and taking over in less than three months. It grows through weed cloth, carpet and even the bottom of a plastic children's pool! I used round up (i never use chemicals, i hated to do it but couldn't think of anything else) the round up killed it... for about 6 weeks till it came back. Short of detonating a small nuclear device i am at a loss.

As for water, we live in a very desert environment. We are about half a mile from a river, but our property is very arid, and alkaline.

Thanks in advance for any pointers you could give me,
Melissa

Wrong salt grass, I gotta mention this thread to a friend for you. There will be some way to control it. What the best way to do so is... I have no idea. Sorry, no experience with this type.

I looked up Distichlis spicata on several sites including our local cooperative extension (which classifies it as a noxious weed here, but lists no control) and it is what i have. Do you have something different?

Sorry, I meant wrong salt for me. I'm not familiar with how to handle it where you have it. I have some ideas as would pertain to wetlands but yours is terrestrial. That sort of came out funny but you know what I mean. I read what you wrote and felt horrible for you so I e-mailed somebody who might know. This stuff really came up through a kiddie pool, huh? That blows my mind. This is one time all I have to say is I am thanking my lucky stars I am not dealing with what you have.

Crud...
Looked for anything I could find and it seems that since this is a native there is no info on control methods. Apparently there is some dispute over taxonomy (what isn't these days?) and Distichlis spicata var stricta is *supposedly* inland saltgrass and more invasive as opposed to the coastal saltgrass that *may* be known as Distichlis spicata var spicata. At any rate, both are important nesting and food sources for native avian species (and others).

Since you are not near water I would try Roundup again. Retreatment every 6 weeks may be necessary to do the job. Also, use a good surfactant. You aren't using the premixed Roundup are you. If so get the concentrate and mix at higher strength like 3 or 5% as the label specifies.
I am not familiar with chems specific to grasses as I work with (mostly) native shortgrass priarie and the broadleaf weeds that inhabit them. Not on our weed list here-we have no listed natives here....Try also your Extension Service? Or perhaps NRCS and the Local Forest Service office. Sorry, wish I could help you more.
Good luck!!

Thanks for both your words of encouragement! I just hate to use chems. but i may give it another go.

Thanks again,
Melissa

I have found one little tidbit of infomation that might be useful to you in addition to what caron suggested. I am told that areas one wants to keep it out of should be handled as if one had bamboo growing inside of them. You basically create a shield around the perimeter of the area in which you plan to create your veggie garden. You would want to place sheet metal down about 3' into the ground to deter the salt grass rhizomes from invading your veggie garden.

I did have another thought. After you treat it as suggested by caron, you could wait and retreat it again in 6 months then hold for two weeks and do a controlled burn to reduce the above ground biomass. That might help expose any new growth to reduce your dependency on chemicals as you could go back in and apply chemicals in the areas that appear to be live. Just a thought as I have no great love of chemicals myself but they are a necessary evil at times.

For our veggie garden we are putting in raised beds... on 3" of concrete. I am hoping that will do the trick :) It is so arid here that the crummy drainage won't be an issue. As for the flower beds, i will try all of the above. It has also been suggested to me by a neighbor that i might be able to kill it with kindness, that it doesn't take to over watering well.

Please share your results with me if you don't mind. I'm most curious about what will ultimately bring you some relief. I still can't get over this stuff growing up through a kiddie pool. Holy moly great balls of fire.