My yard is being infested by Bermuda grass. I have Fescue grass and Zoysia that is being attacked by Bermuda grass. I also have the Bermuda grass growing in my flower beds. I don't know how to get rid of it. I've heard of something called "Ornamec" but have not been able to find it locally.
Anyone have any advice/experience with getting rid of Bermuda grass without damaging Fescue, Zoysia or flower beds?
Has anyone used "Ornamec"? Where can I buy it? I live in the Raleigh, NC area.
I do not believe it is possible to remove bermuda without sterilizing the soil. You will never get it out of your Zoysia or Fescue, as Bermuda is tougher then they are. Bermuda will be the last thing to die. And sterilizing the soil probably won't get rid of the bermuda - one single piece buried 8 inches down will quickly sprout, push through the surface, and spread. It is the Borg of the grasses, it assimilates everything else. You might be better off watering it and mowing it and enjoying it. I lived in Vegas for 15 years, and we grew bermuda lawns because it grows so well in hot dry climates. It makes for nice looking lawns, too, so I never bothered to try to remove it. We also seeded rye and fescue for the winter, or for shady areas, because bermuda turns brown in the winter and won't grow in the shade.
If the garden is not too badly infested, you can pull it on a regular basis, like every couple of days. You will probably never get it out of the garden, but if you pull it out every couple of days, you will keep it under control. Don't let it go a week or two, it will take over. It takes a very deep mulch to kill bermuda, and it has to remain for a very long time.
Disclaimer: I have no experience with Ornamec. I am rather skeptical that it will really work as good as advertised, but you never know. Maybe it will.
There are a few informative videos that you can find through searching the Web that show both chemical and hand tool methods for removing Bermudagrass weeds. These tools cannot be found in your local hardware store.
Have to go with you on this one. Bermuda grass has 3 growing methods. Seed. It sprouts and spreads. Surface laterals. Grow laterally, roots, and continues ad infinitum. Rootage. The roots, if isolated by pulling the surface grass, will do 2 things. The grass will come back up, AND, spread laterally beneath the surface to surface somewhere else. I've also seen Bermuda grass find small drain holes on a growing pot. The pot is isolated on a large flat rock above the ground. The seekers went throught the drain holes, up through a foot of soil in the pot, to sprout on the surface of the soil in the pot.
Not only is it the Borg of grasses, it is also the Terminator as it never, ever stops.
I once put concrete barriers in my graden - 1" x 12" x 6" slabs, designed to stop the bermuda. Much to my surprise (it was my first encounter with bermuda), the grass went over and under my barriers and quickly assimilated my garden.
I've always thought bermuda made a nice lawn. It's fairly pretty, it's very durable, and any damage quickly grows back. It's much easier to maintain then fescue or rye.
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