Lasagne Garden over Bermuda grass?
addictedtoroses
16 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (18)
karbie18
16 years agobuford
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Trying to Manage Bermuda Grass
Comments (5)I guess I'm surprised so many people have so much trouble killing bermuda in garden beds. Killing it out of an established lawn is a huge issue, but killing it in bare dirt is simple. Bermuda requires FULL sun to grow and thrive. If there is a tree or building to the south between you and the horizon, you have a pretty good shot at killing it out. All you need is shade. My neighbor killed her hybrid bermuda front lawn for two years by applying too much compost. The compost shaded out the bermuda. After two years of a really horrible looking lawn, they replaced it all with St Augustine. Just this year I killed a 500 square foot patch of bermuda by smothering it with sand and mulch. We had just finished remodeling last winter and the bermuda filled in where the contractors were working. We needed to relevel the area for drainage anyway, so we brought in sand. The sand ranged from 6 inches deep against the house out to zero inches deep at the edge of the stone driveway. The mulch was 2 inches deep next to the house and out about 10 feet, but then we put in a row of bricks at the edge. The bermuda was growing at the time and we received 50 inches of rain in the 100 days of summer. Although the bermuda was plush out in the (formerly) rock driveway, it never came up through the sand and mulch. This was not a Herculean attempt to kill the bermuda. It was straight forward gardening. We were prepared to pull bermuda shoots as long as necessary. We had less than a handful spring up where the mulch/sand combination was very thin under a huge rose bush. Those were in deep so I know they were volunteers from below. The bermuda creeping in at the edge is extremely easy to pull out of mulch and sand....See MoreHelp! Bermuda Grass taking over
Comments (24)Hi busy b, I have a whole lawn of common bermudagrass (no choice, long story) and can give you all the horror stories. :) I'm finally resigning myself to the fact that a lawn in my part of North Carolina will never be like the Kentucky bluegrass that I grew up with or the tall fescue lawn we had in Pennsylvania. But I LOVE gardening in North Carolina. You're right in that simply pulling it will make a dent. You have to get every little piece with a node on it. The roots and stolons can be VERY deep in the soil. I've had to clear out beds and start over again killing bermudagrass when I've been too impatient to wait and see that it was all killed before I planted. It's impossible to disentangle it from perennial, shrub or tree roots. I created many of my beds by layering newspaper/cardboard over the grass for a few weeks to kill the grass, but bermudagrass will grow right up through it. I think you're on the right track by keeping it away from the borders. I try to leave a foot or so around each bed border without plantings so I have some leeway and a chance to get all the stolons out before it creeps into herbaceous plant roots. I have sandy soil, but in sturdier soil, you can dig a little trench around the bed border to separate lawn from the bed and it helps you to see what's happening with the invasive grass. If you're not adverse to using Roundup, it works well. I've had to resort to that in some places. Hope this helps! Pam...See MoreLasagne gardening - testimonials needed
Comments (18)Glad to hear your demo turned out great Marcia! Here's what I was up to today.... This Lasagna gardening was actually started last fall, first I place heavy duty plastic and pieces of old carpet to smother the weeds and quack grass. Today I pulled it off and layered, cardboard, homemade compost, aged manure, leaves collected last fall and old wet straw. This area is behind the greenhouse, so it gets part shade in the evening. Hmmm, now I have to decide what I'm going to order and plant in there. LOL Shelley, nice plants, can't wait to see the finished project ;) Sharon...See MoreLasagne gardening for killing off grass?
Comments (6)Hello, We bought a house which had no gardens and a ton of unkept lawn/weed area. I had my work cut out for me, or so I thought. I did learn about this method last year so I gave it a try. WOW...it worked so well. I started with newspaper, a good layer to smother the weeds, then added chopped up leaves, used coffee grounds, some other organic materials. I did this all thoughout the growing season last year, just kept adding to it. It doesn't look pretty the first year but now the grass is all gone, so are the weeds, the soil is a dream to dig in and any weeds that "get planted" by mother nature are easily pulled out. You need to wet the newspaper well. There are ways to be able to plant the same year you do this but I have no idea about how to do it. I'm sure someone can help you with that. Keilamarie...See MoreKimmsr
16 years agopatty4150
16 years agoceresone
16 years agoreg_pnw7
16 years agogardenlen
16 years agobuford
16 years agohabitat_gardener
16 years agobuford
16 years agoceresone
16 years ago1fullhouse
16 years agoLisa_H OK
16 years agoMomothegardenhoe zone 5, Central NY
16 years agodrcristy22
16 years agoJim Willeford
3 years agotoxcrusadr
3 years ago
Related Stories
CENTRAL PLAINS NATIVE PLANTS10 Top Grasses for the Central Plains
Low-maintenance grasses provide seasonal interest and wildlife habitat, and aid good design
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNIs It Time to Consider Fake Grass?
With more realistic-looking options than ever, synthetic turf can be a boon. Find the benefits and an installation how-to here
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDES5 Great Grasses for a New Lawn
Learn about maintenance, wear tolerance, ideal climate and more for these top turf choices to pick the right one for you
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGive Your Turf the Fall Tune-up It Deserves
Treat your battered lawn to a little TLC this fall, and it will reward you with lush, healthy grass come spring
Full StoryRED FOLIAGEGreat Design Plant: Chinese Pistache
Versatile and easygoing, this tree puts on a guaranteed fall spectacle in the landscape
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: California Poppy
Fall planting: California's state flower offers a glorious spring show and spreads readily in gardens under the right conditions
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESLessons in the Rewards of Selfless Gardening
Let go of gardening for your own vision and watch the garden’s own true vision come forth
Full StorySUMMER FRUITS AND VEGETABLESHow to Grow Your Own Fresh, Sweet Corn
Here's how to plant and care for your own mini cornfield
Full StoryGRASSESHow to Rock a Lawn
Weekend Project: The key to healthy grass begins with the soil. If turf works for you, here’s how to fix it and keep it looking its best
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESLush, Foodie Abundance in a Small Urban Garden
This modest backyard garden provides its owner with fruit and vegetables all year round, thanks to an innovative low-maintenance approach
Full Story
macfairman