bermuda grass farmers

[Lavandula Girl]

So - we have invasion of the bermuda grass.... My neighbor's entire lawn is basically made of the stuff, and it's come under the fence, through the sunflowers and pumpkins and under my gravel driveway to my yard. Stupid bermuda grass! I'm out there yanking it wherever I see it, which is pretty much a season long process. (I know, pulling just makes the stolons branch out, but it makes me FEEL better....) ANYWAY.... everywhere I pull it, tons of ants come to the surface and mill about like they're waiting for a train! I think the creepy buggers are planting the bermuda grass! Anywhere else in the yard where I pull up weeds or take out sod, I don't have the ant issue. Anyhow, I'm basically ranting, but I thought I'd share my bermuda grass farmer woes....

[johno]

I got some free bermuda sod several weeks ago and put it in a spot grass usually doesn't groww well. It gets enough sun to allow it to grow, but not so much that it will run rampant (or am I dreaming?)

[sunmad strawgirl]

Ooof - they sell bermuda grass sod - and people pay money for it?!! If it is anything like what I think of as bermuda grass, it will run rampant on very little sunlight. It comes up through 12 inches of soil into my raised beds and grows very nicely under at least a foot of straw mulch on the garden paths. I wouldn't trust the stuff to stay put if I had it walled in with steel barricades. But I hates the stuff, I do. I sincerly hope it works for you and turns out pretty instead of invasive.

[johno]

It's about a hundred yards from my garden! hopefully I can catch it before it gets that far!

[Lavandula Girl]

Yeah, um, good luck with that Johno! I'm with Sunmad.... people PAY for this stuff?! I was just clearing the end of the afforementioned sunflower bed, and the bermuda grass runners are making ropes along the fenceline - it's horrid! It's other names, devilgrass, wiregrass, or dogtooth grass, aren't as benign sounding as bermuda grass. I think I'm going to go with that devil grass from now on, just to be clear on my position... It must be satan's favorite groundcover!

[ceresone]

Oh, i agree, i've fought it for 40 years, its winning the war. lady in another county was seeding a new lawn, wanted to use bermuda, i talked against it--even telling her she couldnt have gardens, or flower beds--oh no, she knew lots more tham me--she was going to have beautiful flower beds, gardens--and bermuda lawn!! Good luck, lady in Texas County, Mo.

[johno]

You know, it's funny now that ya'll mention it, but even though all the drawbacks are common knowledge it's a very popular sod here. [mine was left over from a gov.'t job...] Maybe it's because we have so much space to fill...

[ceresone]

Well, dont worry, soon your whole place woll be covered with bermuda. i could give you advice, to get rid of it now, but noone ever listens to me--lol. just be prepared to give up on vegetable gardening, flower gardening-- i have a deck 6' off the ground--its made it there--it found a space between the hardwood and cement in my dining room--you guessed it--bermuda. when i die i will be cremated so bermuda cant GET TOO ME!!!

[goldpearl]

oh, I hate it as much as you all! I think its popular for lawns because you just can't kill it. I have noticed the ants, too. They seem to like it. I wonder if the spread of bermuda grass is the reason fire ants are spreading. Hmm.
http://www.virtual.clemson.edu/groups/seed/newpage21.htm
You think these beans might help get rid of ants, too?