How can I stop Bermuda grass from invading my flower beds?

DJP53
by DJP53

I love my flower beds and outside pond with stream and water fall, but am constantly battling Bermuda grass skittering in under the rocks and edging i put down to try to stop it from getting in the beds, if it gets into the weed cloth it really is hard to get out. How can I stop it from doing this?

  4 answers
  • Install a border. I used bricks as it coordinated with existing hardscaping.

  • J Brown J Brown on Nov 21, 2019

    Problem with Bermuda in addition to the runners you see the roots "travel" under ground 5-10 inched deep which makes controlling it at the surface difficult.

    We live in Central Florida one of our lawn people told us the only way to get rid of Bermuda grass was to move.

  • It creeps in from neighbors yards under fence in backyard on all sides. Constantly fighting it. GRRR

  • Allison Allison on Nov 22, 2019

    I am entering my 24th year of battling this 'grass'. The bane of my existence. The only way I have found to keep it from invading is to shade it out. I bordered my beds with monkey grass and planted trees here there and yon, no bermuda in those places. I am in the process of replacing the 'lawn' with mondo grass and it is choking the bermuda out, as well. Very slow process, but it is working. If you want to use monkey grass along the borders, lay a thick layer of cardboard and plant through it. You'll have to combat the bermuda until the monkey grass gets thick enough, but then it's a done deal.

    • See 1 previous
    • Allison Allison on Nov 23, 2019

      You can avoid digging the roots out (which only seems to anger bermuda causing to come back with a vengeance ;)) by scalping/cutting to the ground the grass, lay very thick cardboard (I use pine needles to hide the cardboard, it's ugly) and cutting holes through it for your monkey grass plugs. Soak the cardboard, it's much easier to cut that way. You can border inside or outside your flowerbeds, that's up to you. The more plugs you plant the faster you will shade out the bermuda.


      The mondo has taken a long time to get going, maybe 3 years now, but I started with only a few plugs planted here and there (here, there and yon is a colloquialism used in the southern US, meaning here and there) I presently still mow the mondo areas but once it takes over the whole lawn, I won't have to. I mow it high, about once every 3 weeks and it is spreading very well and choking out the weeds, now that it is established. It only grows to 3 or 4 inches and is a gorgeous dark green. No need to water or fertilize and it thrives in shade or sun. It's magical. Not to mention how cushy it is to walk on. I have dogs (one nutcase that weighs 80 lbs) and it is holding up nicely to their rampaging. I think I made the right choice planting mondo, just wish I could have afforded to plant the whole property at one time. Every spring, I do separate plugs to plop in another area. I don't clear the ground, just dig a small hole, put the plug in, tamp it down and walk away, easy peasy.


      Hope this helps.