[Community_garden] Bermuda Grass Barriers for gardens

[Don Lambert]

David,

Use competition and shade.  Bermuda will not grow in the shade.  We grow 
a 4 foot wide strip of cover crops to keep bermuda from entering the 
garden.  The best for summer has been tall zinnia, like California 
Giants.   It may take several good tillings by machine to get a good 
seed bed in well established bermuda, but a good stand of zinnias will 
quickly outgrow and shade the ground so the bermuda will stop or grow 
weakly.  Each year before your colder season, say about Sept or Oct, 
plant the same strip to a tall aggressive winter cover like wheat, or we 
use a mixture of Austrian winter pea and grain Rye (for us Elbon works 
best).  The rye will grow tall, at least two feet, and totally occupy 
the space where bermuda grew over the last summer.  About April or May, 
mow the rye, till it in, and plant zinnia again.   No bermuda can get 
across this weed barrier cover crop strip because it grows thickly and 
shades the ground..

Don Lambert
GICD
 


David White wrote:
> In two of the school gardens that I work in there is Bermuda grass growing
> in from adjacent lawns.  What have you found to be effective controls to
> prevent bermuda grass invasion?  I am contemplating putting in edging boards
> so that the lawns can be mowed and weed whipped up to a definite edge, then
> we can control the grass on the other side.  Any recommendations of suitable
> barriers would be appreciated.  Also, has anybody got experience of using a
> weed flamer on bermuda grass?
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