Organic control of Bermudagrass?

Does anyone know of an "Organic" control for Bermudagrass. We have a large problem in my garden with patches of Bermudagrass. I have some large areas where I need to get rid of the grass. I need something organic to get the job done. I have been using 1/2 strength roundup with an addition of soap, but really need something organic.

I have no organic suggestion for you, sorry. I'm battling the same thing here and have been told by many that despite all efforts to kill it, because it grows on runners that are deep it's a losing battle.

From all the answers I got, my conclusion is that digging it out to a depth of maybe 18 inches would help, but it will grow back unless you use a hard barrier that it can't cross.

Round up did nothing here, I ended up usig season long which killed it, but it will be back.

Wish there was better news, but there isn't. Keep pulling it out.

I have a large area to cover. It will be a long process. I must do something though because at this rate I will be a rancher in a few years with bermuda pasture.

I don't have a large area of bermuda but patches of it here and there. I do have to fight Johnson grass, which has even more vigorous and deeply grounded stolon roots than bermuda. I shear off both of them right at or just below ground level with the string trimmer, then pour pickling vinegar (9% acidity) directly onto the top of the roots without drenching the whole area. The soil here is slightly alkaline but I don't want to alter the pH too much. I'm making headway...each year there is less and less and the problem would probably be solved if I had remained more vigilant. I use the same method for the St. Augustine that comes in from the neighbors' yard. Yuska

The bermuda: doesn't yours seed? That's been the problem here. We have St. Augustine and the two coexist beautifully :>( but the bermuda loves to get into the flower beds but it can only do that by the seeds getting in there.

Ann

Thanks for the suggestions

Solarization. Cover with black plastic. Leave in place until the the ground has heated up underneath to very high temps for a good length of time. In your sunny and hot state of AZ, this should kill everything, including viable seeds, worms (what aren't able to find their way away from it, fungus and bacterias, and even the good microbes. So, afterwards it is good to work back in some healthy compost to speed back the soil's recovery.

That sounds like something worth trying. Thanks

What I do is then develop a walk path around the garden area of about two feet wide, or so, and I mulch it very heavily with wood chips. I am then diligent about using Round-up (if bermuda or other aggressive grass) or manual pulling (for most broadleaf weeds) to defeat anything entering or growing on this barrier strip. I mulch within the garden area with a good grass mulch (dried prairie grasses make the best mulch). I find this to be an effective means of keeping bermuda from reaching back into the garden.

Be sure to try a web search on "solarization," and you should find lots of good information on the proper way to handle it. I don't know if you can get the heat deep enough to kill the lower roots of bermuda, or not.

This message was edited Dec 14, 2006 2:27 PM

Getting the heat deep enough will depend on the type of soil...sandy/loose vs hard clay.

Solarization works pretty good for lots of weeds and is certainly worth the effort. I'd recommend clear plastic over the black though, it'll heat up better. Plus, in the beginning, the sun coming through will cause some of the seeds/rhizomes to begin growth but will soon stop them in their tracks due to the excessive heat. And remember, for solarization to really work well you'll need to water the area very well before you lay down the plastic.

Normally the plastic is left in place for about 6 weeks and is done only in hot weather. As for the earthworms and many of the microbial bacteria, no worries...the worms will easily move to "cooler climates" and some of the bacteria will either thrive in the heat or also move away from it (to the best of their ability!) or become a food source for other creatures.

Good suggestion KSGrazier for encouraging solarization. It certainly has its merits. Now as for spraying Roundup, I think farmergray is trying to stay organic so perhaps substituting soap and/or vinegar sprays might also fit in with augmenting the solarization, eh?

Sure is some great input here, thanks folks for sharing!

Shoe.

I also prefer organic gardening methods. After finally eradicating the bermuda grass from my vegetable garden by labor intensive digging and removing all roots and stolons, I'm now struggling to keep it from spreading from my neighbor's yard. My barrier along the fence line is an aluminum edging, a narrow brick path with cement between the bricks bordered by a wood chip mulched path with landscape fabric underneath, and landscape timbers buried along side this path. I still have to use my weed trimmer along the fence line to keep runners from creeping across the path and must diligently dig the stolons that grow beneath the path. It does take diligence! I've found that Bermuda grass doesn't grow as well in shady areas and doesn't hold up well to foot traffic. The 3 family dogs have practically eradicated it from my lawn; perhaps a combination of foot traffic and urine burn; which is a separate issue. It also doesn't grow well in the shade of our large maple tree. Anyway, I understand your predicament, and offer the above advice based on my own experience.

Mine came under the fence from the neighbors' yard, where they planted this nightmare stuff as lawn. I've spent the past two years totally focused on killing it off. I understand what you're going through! I actually sent an e-mail to Maria Rodale asking for help, and she replied with no workable organic suggestions. I had some luck with my chicken tractor, but then the neighbors whined about the chickens, so I had to let that go. But I found they did improve the soil to the point where it could be worked and I could dig the bermuda out.

So I bought a Weed Dragon, which I used to knock it down in the larger areas so I could solarize, then I newspaper-mulched to loosen the soil, and then I dug out the roots. While the solarizing killed the tops, it just seemed to drive those thick, snaky white runners deeper into the cooler ground.

I absolutely won't use Roundup, but I did find a bermudagrass spray that, while it isn't organic, doesn't kill everything around it either (which the vinegar does---I've tried that and soap, and organic orange spray, and just about everything else). I use a little of the bermudagrass spray on the hard-to-reach spots like in the middle of other plants, and it seems to kill the bermuda without destroying the other plant.

I'm still fighting it, but at least I'm not looking out on a sea of it twining into every desirable plant I ever put in the ground! If only the gophers would eat it...then I'd only have ONE pest to deal with!~

As an organic farmer with 30,000 plus trees under production we also have a Bermuda/Johnson Grass problem. We do the following. We mow very close 1" or less all areas with infestions. We use 3 oz. woven landascape fabric that comes in 15'x300 ft. rolls and cover the areas we plan to plant the following seaon. The black fabric solarizes and blocks light which usually kills the roots within 4-6 months with 95% success. The fabric is then rolled up and used on anther plot. The fabric lasts many years with this partime use. Costs 160.00 for the 300x15' roll but is available in many landscape supply centers in 3',4',6',8',10',12', and 15 ft. widths. For really tough growers like bamboo and Kudzu we use 12.5 oz. fabric which will kill them too. Vinegar is an organic herbicide but is not tough enough to take on most runner grasses.

Good to know that the black weed block fabric works as a solarizer! I have used black and clear plastics, but they break down & disintegrate pretty quickly in our sun/heat, and then cause a bigger mess to clean up. Weed block holds up pretty well here, so I'll try this on the areas where I still have a problem. Thanks for the input!