Bermuda Grass...Arrrrrrrgh!

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Permalink Reply by Philodice on May 11, 2009 at 6:31am

Um...cage a few chickens around the tree until the grass is all eaten. Or ducks. Die, grass, die!
Your fruit tree will love the company. ;)

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Permalink Reply by TCarmichael on May 11, 2009 at 7:45am

Shade.

Bermuda hates shade.

Cover the area with a heavy mulch (I don't know the first thing about fruit trees... but check if yours will tolerate mulch touching it), or perhaps cardboard, etc.

You could also install a barrier around the trees and use the solarizing method to attempt to kill the bermuda. This will be a never ending game unless you install a barrier and "draw the line" at where bermuda must stop.

Good luck. Bermuda is a plague.

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Permalink Reply by Chris and Deanna on May 11, 2009 at 10:32am

Plant Red Clover. It will choke the Bermuda out...

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Permalink Reply by Monica on May 11, 2009 at 11:16am

Do you if red clover can be planted in the summer?

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Permalink Reply by Chris and Deanna on May 11, 2009 at 12:14pm

Spring sowing is best. I think it will be too hot to plant it during the summer.

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Permalink Reply by Ben Ruesga on May 11, 2009 at 12:17pm

There are many posts regarding the tenacity of Bermuda grass. You might try pulling/digging out all you can then heavily mulching around the tree (do not put mulch directly in contact with with root stock though) By heavily, I mean 6" deep or so. I have a huge pile of mulch in my front yard right now if you need any. I am near 7th ave/Glendale.

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Permalink Reply by Christina Parry on May 11, 2009 at 4:15pm

Is there a reason why you have to pull the grass? I think there is something, but can't remember. if so, I need the same advice.

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Permalink Reply by Jane Doyle on May 11, 2009 at 5:02pm

You can pull it, but it doesn't really help. It will be right back, because it'll likely have stolons underground that you won't have been able to get out, despite your earnest efforts. If it's right next to more Bermuda grass you're OK with, then the remaining Bermuda grass will send it's evil tentacles right over to regrow where you pulled out the grass you didn't want.

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Permalink Reply by TCarmichael on May 12, 2009 at 9:06am

Fruit trees don't supposedly don't like living in the middle of grass.

I see it done all the time, though. But I never paid attention to the trees... fruit, etc.

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Permalink Reply by Brittany Nopar on May 30, 2009 at 3:13pm

I believe that if you plant several bulbs (like daffodils) around the base of your tree, and then some more around the drip line, grass will have a hard time growing past the bulbs. Some fruit tree guilds work this way- I read about it in "Gaia's Garden" :)

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Permalink Reply by Rachel on May 30, 2009 at 3:53pm

That might work for 'regular' grass, but bermuda will just laugh at your efforts and take over.
You can heavy mulch etc, but that won't be a permanent solution as you are constantly watering and it will eventually come up through the mulch, like Jane said, those stolons are deep and you can't dig them out because you'd kill your fruit tree.... which the bermuda is stealing water from like the jerk that it is.

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Permalink Reply by Janine on May 31, 2009 at 3:36pm

Steve does dig out the grass. we call it crabgrass, cause I'm a Californian and that's what we call it there. lol
He digs it out, about a foot deep. Roots and all. Then two weeks later he digs the same spot again and gets it all. And yes Virginia, it's gone from the spots he's dug.

What we can't control is the stuff coming from the neighbors or the alley. It's a bear to dig, so there ain't no way I'm letting him dig the alley. [nor would he want too, I think]

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