I have decided that Bermuda grass has a lot in common with water; they both travel the path of least resistance, while still defeating our best attempts to contain them. It's happening in one of my borders that is edged with cement paver stones, fronted by 4" metal edging, sunk 1/2 way down in turf and stabilized with iron stakes. This system works great on St. Augustine lawns, but the B grass roots still get through. I've had it with fighting grass in the bed and have removed the pavers to find its source - grass runners had squeezed through the slits where the stakes connect the ends. Next time we use this edging, I will try backing just the hole-y places with another section of metal edging and in the middle, sandwich a piece of the black plastic fabric that is pierced in one direction to keep growths from entering. Or I might try just backing the holes with the fabric alone, when putting this mess back together. It might do the trick without using another piece of metal.
Anyone have any other ideas?
To me Bermuda is nothing but a WEED!!! I learned from my House in Watauga, Tx. that the only way to beat,is NOT TO HAVE IT... When I moved to the House I have now in Arlington,Tx. I planted nothing but St.Augustine (Raleigh) and have never had any problems with it...As a matter of fact I would line all flower beds with St.Augustine and seed Bermuda in the large lawn area's..St. Augustine will not let or be taken over by the Bermuda...
What is really bad news is once you have Bermuda in a flower bed you....have it all most for ever!!It's roots can go down as for as 16" that is why it is so Drought Tolerant and aggresive...
All I can say is spray it with full strength Vinegar every time it pops its ugly head up.....
I'm been feeling soooo bad that mine largest perennial bed is a great stand of bermuda. No matter the plastic, mulch, vinegar or digging out it's gotten worse in that one bed. When we moved in, the entire yard was bermuda. We planted a few sprigs of St. Augustine and it has thrived in all the right areas but the bermuda that we thought we dug out before we put the raised bed in! has come up and through about 15 inches of compost, lava sand and a thick layer of newspaper and mulch! Thus, the bed is coming down and black plastic will live in the spot for about 6 months. Ugh! But hopefully this will start me a fresh, new bed for fall or spring planting (depending on the weather and my time!)
I know what you mean David about that B grass with deep roots. Fortunately, mine is not coming up from roots within the bed. So far the invasion is only at the edge and seems to be containable (knock wood). Have been working the edges for several years without it coming up in the middle and am hoping this new defense will hold it back longer.
Your black-plastic baking is dead-on (cute pun) Gail, since shade is its enemy. You might consider the newspaper under the mulch trick after replanting. It has defeated some pretty tough perennial weeds for me - if I keep it replaced regularly.
Our yard is like yours, with parts of each kind. The SA overgrows the B in the shady water-retaining areas and the B lives in the drier sun spots. I was told that City View Assoc restricts res from planting St. Augustine completely, so as to not have it shade-out and over run their preferred hybrid B.
Also, a local landscaper said the native 'Coastal Bermuda' is more difficult to defeat than the hybrids. Sounds like that's what you had in Waco, David!
Uh,,, Watauga ;-)
Now let's talk about NUT GRASS.
ARGGGGGGGGGG
Nut grass, I believe every gardener hates this weed as much as we all hate the IRS. The only thing I have ever heard that might choke out nut grass is planting annual or perennial rye seed. It froms such a dense grass that the nut grass comes out very late in the season and the regular lawn grasses can make some progress against it.
In a flower bed?? You are on your own? But be sure and keep us posted on your research?