Grass is growing all over my planting beds. How do I get rid of it and stop it from growing back?

Possible Answer:  Common Bermuda and Weed Grasses – Most weed grasses, and common Bermuda, spread through seeds.  If your lawn has common Bermuda, make sure you mow weekly to keep the grass from going to seed.  (Most Bermuda lawns are Hybrid Bermuda and do not seed.)  The best solution is to pull the grass out by hand and keep the soil covered by a thick layer of mulch to keep new seeds from blowing in and germinating on bare soil.

Possible Answer:  Grass Growing from the Lawn – Hybrid Bermuda grass and St. Augustine grass spread by sending out runners over the surface of the soil.  The best way to keep the grass from growing into the planting bed is to make sure the lawn is edged properly every week when the lawn is mowed.  Bermuda and St. Augustine can grow very fast, so a few weeks unmaintained can result in a lot of grass growing where it shouldn’t.  They can grow over barriers and even spread out over a 3-foot wide sidewalk if given time.  Regular maintenance is important.

Zoysia spreads differently.  It spreads underground, pushing out specialized underground root/stems called rhizomes. As a result, the Zoysia spreads slowly, but it also can’t be controlled with just regular edging like the other grasses.  A good bed edge is important, and it should be set far enough down into the soil to stop the spread of the rhizomes.  Stone bed edges and steel edges work.  A natural edge can also be effective if dug deep enough.  This exposes the growing rhizomes to the weekly edging.

Possible Answer: NUTSEDGE ☹ – Nutsedge is a weed that looks very similar to grass, and it is a nightmare to deal with.  It is resistant to herbicides and can push roots 24 inches down into the soil, making weeding exceedingly difficult.  It’ll also grow through cardboard, heavy weed fabrics, thick gauge plastic barriers, and even asphalt and concrete.  There are a few selective herbicides that can kill the stuff, but they are effective in lawn spaces and not beds.  We haven’t found a good solution other than persistent, regular weeding.  Pull the stuff as often as possible until it uses up its energy and dies.   After a long fight, one of three things happen.  After years of effort, the nutsedge finally dies, you die, or you sell the house and move on.  That’s a joke, but barely.

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