I've got a small yard, about 2000 square feet, that's almost entirely filled with Bermuda grass. The roots seem to go deeper than a foot into the soil, and I'm looking for the best way to eradicate it entirely so I can start fresh. Is solarization a practical option here, or should I be prepared to dig everything out to at least a foot deep? If anyone has successfully dealt with this kind of Bermuda grass invasion, I'd love to hear how you did it!
3 Answers
Check out Ornamec 170. It won’t give you instant results, but if you follow the instructions, it can effectively manage Bermuda grass invasion. I’ve used it to keep my neighbor’s Bermuda grass from creeping into my zoysia lawn, and it works well without harming my grass.
If you have a couple of months of hot sun left, solarization could definitely do the trick! Just make sure to dig around the edges and any obstacles in your yard to really trap the heat in. It’s a viable way to kill off those pesky roots without massive digging.
What worked for me was to first solarize the area, then I dug it out and planted buffalo grass seed (Sundancer variety). It turned out great! The Bermuda grass tries to invade the new buffalo grass, but it struggles to take hold, even with regular watering. If you want to get rid of the grass for good, I’d recommend this method after trimming the grass down to the roots first.