Damn Bermuda Grass

[rageeumr]

Warning: Overly long story about grass.

A couple of years ago I noticed that I had a good amount of Bermuda grass in a 10' x 15' or so area of my back yard. I'm not sure where it came from, it seemed to just sort of pop up, and I haven't noticed it in any of my neighbors yards.

So in the fall of 2011 I sprayed Roundup on the whole area, let it sit for a couple weeks and then reseeded with fescue. The lawn looked great until early summer when the Bermuda popped back up.

Last fall I was determined to get rid of it once and for all. I sprayed Roundup again. Waited about a week, raked a bit and then sprayed another healthy dose of Roundup. Then I tilled the entire area under, brought in a bit of extra topsoil, reseeded and laid a straw mat.

The seed went down a little later than I would have liked, so it looked a little rough over the winter. But with the wet spring, the grass really took off. By mid-May, it looked as good as the rest of my yard.

I went out yesterday to fire up the grill and about pissed myself. Bermuda grass all over the place again. There wasn't a trace of it a week ago.

I'm pretty much at a loss. I never would have imagined it could come back after I tilled everything under. I suppose I could have stripped the surface before I tilled, but I probably would have had to bring in a bunch more soil.

Any suggestions from the CP grounds crew?

[O.city]

I'm a southern guy, so I guess thats where it comes from, but I'd take Bermuda over fescue every day.

[Oxford]

Originally Posted by rageeumr

Warning: Overly long story about grass.

A couple of years ago I noticed that I had a good amount of Bermuda grass in a 10' x 15' or so area of my back yard. I'm not sure where it came from, it seemed to just sort of pop up, and I haven't noticed it in any of my neighbors yards.

So in the fall of 2011 I sprayed Roundup on the whole area, let it sit for a couple weeks and then reseeded with fescue. The lawn looked great until early summer when the Bermuda popped back up.

Last fall I was determined to get rid of it once and for all. I sprayed Roundup again. Waited about a week, raked a bit and then sprayed another healthy dose of Roundup. Then I tilled the entire area under, brought in a bit of extra topsoil, reseeded and laid a straw mat.

The seed went down a little later than I would have liked, so it looked a little rough over the winter. But with the wet spring, the grass really took off. By mid-May, it looked as good as the rest of my yard.

I went out yesterday to fire up the grill and about pissed myself. Bermuda grass all over the place again. There wasn't a trace of it a week ago.

I'm pretty much at a loss. I never would have imagined it could come back after I tilled everything under. I suppose I could have stripped the surface before I tilled, but I probably would have had to bring in a bunch more soil.

Any suggestions from the CP grounds crew?

Make sure you use roundup when it is growing... Its a warm season grass, and Roundup only kills what it touches. So you want it to be pulled into the roots. Another thought is to talk to a lawn service, see if they have a "guaranteed control". If it comes back it's their problem. Pre-emerge chemicals only inhibit germination of seed. If you don't get the roots it will be back

[Bob Dole]

Aint' anything wrong with Bermuda if you make sure not to cut more than 25% of its height. If you let it get too tall then cut it, it looks like ass.

[KC-TBB]

I like my Bermuca grass...of course I live here in the South where thats about all there is...

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

HeHe. I introduced bermuda into my lawn two years ago and now its spreading into the neighbors lawn. They have a fescue lawn that is so beautiful and mow it twice a week. And they're in their 80's. I bet they cuss me every day and say horrible things about me.

[Pepe Silvia]

Cut little triangles or something.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

HeHe. I introduced bermuda into my lawn two years ago and now its spreading into the neighbors lawn. They have a fescue lawn that is so beautiful and mow it twice a week. And they're in their 80's. I bet they cuss me every day and say horrible things about me.

The jackasses who owned our house before us planted bamboo. I constantly apologize to my neighbors. Offered to split cost of ditch witch and erecting a barrier between our houses, but they never replied. Oh well. Now they're infested.

[Ace Gunner]

i'm sorry but you are in the burmuda grass triangle

[Demonpenz]

sorry for your loss.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

It's a bitch to get rid of, that's for sure. Unfortunately, your tilling likely is the culprit - when you till, you're cutting the roots into smaller pieces, but not eliminating them. Which is why it came back.

You're going to need something stronger than Roundup - a selective herbicide that won't damage the other type of grass in your lawn - maybe something like Atrazine or Ornamec.

Atrazine will be pretty hard on your grass and really limits reseed. And as far as I k know you can't spray it in town. I think it is a restricted use pesticide.

Originally Posted by rageeumr

Looks like I'll give Ornamec a shot. I just find it hard to believe that a "selective kill" chemical is going to do better than glyphosate, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Glyphosate has no residual. It kills the **** out of Bermuda but it doesn't keep any more from coming.