californian...I don't think the rototilling will kill the Bermuda grass. In fact I worry that it will actually make the problem worse for you. Every little stolon will root and grow again. :(

I have not had many weeds come up this year. I guess that's the one good thing about the drought!

Californian, are you sifting out the Bermuda rhizomes after you rototill?
Rototilling is usually used to renew Bermuda.

Hate to tell you, but Bermuda grass will survive drought and rototilling without a problem. :(

wait til the spring comes and near summer, that darn bermuda will start again... i've tried to get rid of it for many years and it is basically impossible.

The way I eliminated bermuda was to spray it w/Roundup, rototill, and pull out as much "dead" bermuda as I could. Then, when it popped up in spots, I watered those areas and, a few days later, used a weeder to dig it out as best I could.

Keep in mind that rototilling also brings the seeds of new weeds to the surface. I've observed my next door neighbor doing something akin to what you're describing in their front yard: mow down and remove all the weeds + till in the spring, then no water. Over the summer weeds grow despite what may seem like harsh conditions, and in the fall/winter things grow gangbusters with the rain. They've repeated this cycle a few years now and I'm not sure what it's accomplished but every year I think that maybe they won't get the growth...and then they get the growth.

The soil has to be covered with something to prevent the new weeds from growing. My choice, if I don't have plants, is to use multiple layers of newspaper/cardboard covered with the free wood chips I can get from the utility company.

Tilling is detrimental to the soil structure, too, so it's best to minimize tilling. I think tilling a couple times, initially, to get things under control is okay. After that, however, I think it's better to hand weed or suppress growth with mulch or dense plantings.

What about solarization? Would that work?

I have since done a lot of research on killing weeds and Bermuda grass. My method of just continuous rototilling will work, but only if you have a prolonged period with no rain. However it won't kill bermuda grass seeds so the first time it rains it could come back. Same thing with roundup, it will kill the plants but not the seeds which can stay viable for at least two years in the soil. Solarization will kill the plants and seeds in the top three inches of soil, but if you later rototill deeper than three inches it can bring viable seeds to the surface. Soil fumigation will kill everything, weeds, grass, seeds, insects, what have you, but you need a licensed pro to do it for you and I assume it would be very expensive for a homeowner. The fastest method for a homeowner is roundup followed by rototilling a week later. Then prepare the soil and water and let the weeds and grass sprout and use roundup one more time. Then don't disturb the soil or you will bring up more weed seeds.

I'm looking forward to hearing how this goes for you, Californian. Are you planning on putting in veggies, landscaping, flowers?

It seems that there are many recommendations for eradication. The one that worked for me, and allows me to plant immediately - dig it up, filter the stolens out, and plant. Bermuda can grow deep, survive drought and neglect. I overhauled a very large front yard with a simple tool - a square shovel (called an Irish shovel, don't know why)after enough rain to soften the soil. My lot is impenetrable ancient marine terrace of silt, clay and sand.

It's fairly easy to sift the stolens from the dirt via a wire mesh on a frame that fits a wheel barrow, or you can simply throw out the grass layer. Yes, you can do solarization, you can do round-up, you can do rototilling for however long it takes... but imho the prep is everything. Fighting resprouting grass is miserable, neverending work. Spend the time up front sifting the bermuda grass out and spend zero weeding time fighting it later. My neighbor did not bother to remove the bermuda, and it comes back every year, even with mulch.

Many of the previous posts are spot on - rototilling will not eliminate bermuda. The comment of 'tilling destroys the soil structure' is highly subjective to the type of soil. If I had not completely turned and amended my garden then nothing would grow.

It would be helpful if you posted your soil type or did a 'jar test' so that others can make recommendations.

Hope this helps ... diana

No one's mentioned the pre-emergent week killers. I admit I've never used one but it seems like it would be useful in this situation.

It would work very well for the seeds, but not the Bermuda grass. A good layer of mulch will prevent the seeds from sprouting plus enrich the soil without using chemicals.

If you plan on sowing wildflowers, I wouldn't use it.

Bermuda grass will grow right through mulch. I have had it grow through layers of mulch eight inches thick. Oxalis weeds will grow in the mulch.
Well we finally got a significant rain here in Orange County. According to my rain gauge (a five gallon bucket) we got almost three inches in the past four days, and a bit more is predicted for tomorrow. So any chopped up Bermuda stolens and rhizomes will stay alive, and probably at least 40,000 weed seeds will sprout in my back yard. But due to the rain I will be able to rototill my clay soil deeper when it dries out enough to rototill.
BTW, I am also rototilling ten cubic yards of horse manure/sawdust compost into my clay while I am at it.

Bermuda seed can stay viable up to 42 years in the soil. Rototill, bring it to the surface, expose it to sun and water........BAM! Great new crop of bermuda! In additin to all those nice stolens you're spreadin/chopping. Use Round Up when it's actively growing. When dead, water, kill new growth, rinse repeat, till none comes up. That's the way to get rid of it

I got rid of the bermuda grass next to my garage by smothering it -with Matilija Poppy. Now the poppies have taken over. If I got rid of the poppies the bermuda grass prolly would come back but I think a poppy problem is more attractive than a bermuda grass problem.

I pride myself with wonderful gardens so brown grass just won't do. For the last couple of years I've grown the greenest weeds which to me is all California but with using Scotts Organic fertilizer, watering every once a week or when the soil gets dry which isn't often since the fertilizer really holds water, and taking the weed wacker to the tops of the weeds so just the green shows has been amazing.

I might have made a mistake this spring because the thatch was 6-8" thick so I started to do my deep pitchfork holes everywhere before putting the fertilizer and huge amounts of thatch came up so I started tossing the thatch and weeds and after days of this grueling work I'm down to clean dirt which I cover with a couple of inches of amendments raked in well. Just hoping that my nice green weeds which is just Bermuda runners, clover, and weeds, but when taken care of weekly with the weed wacker sure looked nice without using lots of water. Sure found lots of grubs and no worms. I like worms which might have helped to break down the thatch. All the snails now are not helping things either.

"I plan to keep doing this until every Bermuda grass stolen and rhizome is dead."

I have to assume you've found the secret to immortality, because this sissyphean task reminds me of Mickey in the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Update, my method seems to be working. Every time I rototill my Bermuda and weeds less and less come up the next time. I hate it that we have gotten only 0.05 inches of rain in the last five weeks, but it is making my method work all the better. Whereas I used to have thousands of weeds and Bermuda sprouts I now have to search for them. The only place it isn't working is where I can't rototill and I have to water like around the bases of my fruit trees and where I already planted my vegetables.
BTW, as far as lawns grow, if you keep weeds mowed from a distance they could pass for grass. If you keep mowing and picking out the tall growing weeds eventually the only weeds you have are low growing ground hugging weeds like scarlet pimpernel that look like you planted them as a ground cover on purpose.

Good job!

Keep us updated. We're all fascinated by this project.

Renee