HELP! How do I kill Tiff Bermuda permanently?

Question

Over the last 7 years or so I have been fighting a losing battle against Tiff Bermuda thanks to my neighbors who have their lawns mowed and then use those blowers to get rid of their clippings instead of bagging and then raking. One little piece landing in your yard and you seem to be doomed.

I had it eradicated a while back, but now it's an uphill battle. I got rid of all my beautiful lawn because there was just no killing off and I no longer had the time to constantly deal with this. I then put down heavy plastic cover and covered it all in rock, but in the last year or two it has now invaded my raised planter bed. Carefully pulling it, spraying it with a Roundup that is suppose to kill it just doesn't cut it and does no good as we all well know. It has now invaded all my Irises and is impossible to pull or remove, and I am forced to dig them out and get rid of them. What's worse is that it is rooting thru the top of the heavy duty plastic and rooting thru it to get to the ground.

A while back a professional grounds keeper at a local golf course told me the only real thing that will kill it is to spray it with gasoline (yes....., highly toxic, contaminates ground water, illegal as all hell I assume) and then light it on fire. If not for the fact that it is growing so close to my home and I live in a high fire danger area outside of city limits I would be tempted. Most surefire herbicides that used to kill it are now off the market. Any other ideas out there?

Patricia Brining · Answer

Try regular rock salt like you use for ice and snow! It also works in cracks on walks=I found this out in Illinois winters salt for the dogs path-no grass or weeds!

Pam · Answer

Boiling hot water on the rocks, keeping a eye out and if you see any green douce them with boiling water again , you'll need to dig your plants up and remove the Bermuda roots they will be tangled with your decorative grass ,Bleach will also kill it.Good Luck!

Kathy · Answer

I totally understand your frustration since I've been dealing with bermuda grass for years now. When I first moved into this house I would spend hours pulling it out of the ground. I doubt any of what is suggested above will kill it. Bleach may kill what is above the ground, but rhizomes run deep. Years ago, probably 10, I bought a product called Ornamec. At that time it costs around $30. a bottle. I ordered it from a company in Texas. I don't remember how big of an area it covered, but It did seem to work. However, unless you get every piece above ground and below ground, you're just throwing money away. I have 1 1/2 acres, so to kill it all would be quite costly. I had a lawn service give me an estimate this year for $4,000. to kill it. I also doubt plastic would kill it. I've watched it come through my blacktop driveway. Cold doesn't kill it either. If you come up with something, let me know! Check this review on Amazon, especially from bermudagrass hater. - http://www.amazon.com/Bayer-704100B-Bermudagrass-Control-32-Ounce/product-reviews/B001D25Y0K

Sarieno · Answer

You have to dig down about a ft or more and spray the roots or burn them out.

Douglas Hunt · Answer

The University of California has chemical and other strategies here: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7453.html

Carole · Answer

Oh I hate those garden blowers with a vengeance! Not only are they noisy and smelly when in use, they do blow other peoples weeds and general rubbish all over other peoples gardens. Sorry to anyone out there who uses a blower but what ever happened to using the good old fashion broom? Why not sweep instead of blow? Of course it is easier to blow your garden crap everywhere but sweeping has the benefit of more control of where it ends up, you get a good work out while you sweep - no more gym fees! Sorry to anyone who uses a blower out of necessity - I understand some people may have health or mobility issues which means using a broom and the physical effort that goes into that is not possible for everyone. I reckon the link Douglas has provided must surely provide some remedy to these noxious weeds.

Nancy Spencer Carlson · Answer

I'm not a gardner, so please excuse this comment right from the start: anything green is welcome in my yard! Just mow it like regular grass! lol

Jill · Answer

In the past year and a half I have been using the Roundup Concentrate. It just doesn't cut it.

Kim L · Answer

I am soooooo burned out in trying to get all the Bermuda grass ousted from my property that I don't even give a hoot anymore!! Too time consuming and nearly IMPOSSIBLE to eradicate. You would THINK that something with the name 'Bermuda' would be beautiful - HA!!! I just mow it down as often as I can!

Debbie B · Answer

My old neighbor says that there is a product called something like Terfalon Ester. I have not used it but she swears by it...

Margy M · Answer

I have been fighting it for 15 years now, hate it worse than any living plant! I spray the grass in my iris beds with Grass B Gone, but I am afraid to use it around everything. There is Bermuda in my Liriope but I am afraid to spray into it. It is truly the scourge of the Earth.

Louis Lieberman · Answer

mix Roundup with Gramoxone add some liquid soap to increase the spread factor&spray.

Lisa McDaniel · Answer

OMG ! I don't have an answer but thank you for asking about it ! For two years I've been trying to get rid of what I thought was a weed and I find out now it's Bermuda !! My next trip to Lowe's I was going to bring some with me and ask what it was. I live out in the country and have been trying to get St Augustine to grow with not much luck due to the Bermuda and what ever else the neighbors have. Good luck and I hope you find something that works, I'll be watching for it !

Margy M · Answer

@Tabby, the Grass B Gone is supposed to only kill grass, but to be sure, check the label. Be sure not to get WEED be Gone by accident, like I once did! It kills everything!

Dianne · Answer

The best you can do is control it from overwhelmig your garden. But, given the fact that neighbors have it, garden workers blow it about and especially because it a tough little bugger...you might as well make a workable truce with it and move on to more important things that don't involve using roundup. I think it's god's way of telling us to live and let live!

Carol Harris · Answer

I wish my whole lawn was Bermuda grass. Its the only grass that is heat tolerant as we have extremely hot weather in the summer time.

Linda Woody · Answer

I read that it dies back in the winter and you need to use a 
PRE-EMERGENT to keep the seeds from sprouting.

Lisa · Answer

This is the worst of the worst weeds! I have fought it for years as well. I will try some of the fore-mentioned tips.

Barbara Sullivan · Answer

If not lot I'd burn it but stay with it until outGranny use burn all grass away it come back beautiful but we know that's a no,no, but not much don't think hurt.It will probably come back anyway we took small water pond out those roots were at least 4 ft. down.Never ending battle...Good look..

Louis Lieberman · Answer

u need a systemic killer - roundup mixed with gramoxone or/and dalapon is good. burning off the foliage doesn't kill the roots!@1 result is available, use up and down arrow keys to navigate.!!

Sandra Parrill · Answer

The trouble with Bermuda is that the smallest piece will root and grow, not that the seeds are a problem. It doesn't die back in the winter, it just goes dormant and greens up againi in the spring. I have pretty good luck with pulling it before it gets too far into my garden, but also spray with an over-the-top grass killer like Grass-be-Gone, but check the expanded label for the safe list before spraying it around ornamentals. Mix a spreader-sticker or dishwashing soap with it. Be sure it is green and growing when you spray it so the leaves will absorb the poison. Round-up works, if you repeat spray ever so often, but it is a broad-spectrum that also kills everything else and it locks up nutrients in the soil. You may have to dig up the irises, sift the soil to get out all the pieces of Bermuda roots, and then replant. Weed barriers do no good, it comes up through them but mulch might help.

Patricia · Answer

I have the form shown in the photo plus a taller-growing variety infesting our whole property. Asked the local Extension person 20 years ago if I had any hope of eliminating it and there was a long pause...then he asked how old I was! LOL I've been battling it constantly ever since and have accepted that I'll never win. I don't use chemicals, so it's meant hand digging and pulling year-round. I figure I must have done something really heinous in a previous life to have ended up with this yard ;o)

Carol Harris · Answer

its so odd for me to read the comments about Bermuda grass, when folks around her builds new homes, they have Bermuda sod put down, and we have had sod put down in bare spots, my parents use to burn theirs off in early spring before it started getting green and it would be the most beautiful lawn, plush like carpet.

Margy M · Answer

It turns brown in the fall and is the last thing to green up in the Spring. So ugly. But I know I will never get rid of it. Just trying to keep it out of my flower beds :(

Tracey T · Answer

There are types of grass that will kill it out but you no longer have grass so I am stumped. Trying sending a note to the neighbors and see if that will help any. Good luck with your situation and a Merry Christmas to all!

Carol Harris · Answer

@Patricia, we have edging that goes around our flower bed and plants that prevent the grass from getting into them. It is a stuff grass, guess that's the reason we all like it, it stays green from April until after we have a killing frost, sometimes not until November, our hot summers kill most other kinds of grass, that's another reason its so popular here, I'm sure it would be a pain if you don't want it.

Gladys Rhoads · Answer

If you have a rock yard desolve rock salt in water and spray over your invaiders of the B. grass and just kee doing every time you see a shoot as they die pull them up so the seeds do not blow into a new area.

Trish M · Answer

I'm looking for helpful hints too.I have tried everything.I live in the desert and This Grass/Weed grows in 125 degree heat very lil water if non.I have used vinegar,Pre emergants,Had inches of Soil taken out and replaced,Landscape fabric,Black Plastic.This stuff grows on rocks in sand with No water.It is The Uglyest Greenery I have ever seen and it Strangles anything it grows near.

Karen powell · Answer

I have heard bleach will do the trick and washes away making it safer than poison sprays. Also boling water or vinigar . Good luck . as for your nasty neighbor I would be waiting camera in hand and press charges of some sort !

Tracey T · Answer

Omgoodness Jill, I have one of those neighbors too. They go around killing other neighbors plants and trees. Several restraining orders against them and 1 pending suit if they every bother me again. They stay away from me LOL I live in a 55 and older subdivision too. They are in their 80's. I feel for you! Maybe ask their yard man if they have one to stop???

HELP! How do I kill Tiff Bermuda permanently?

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HELP! How do I kill Tiff Bermuda permanently?

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