👿 Roundup isn't the devil;

bermudagrass is!

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See bottom of article for important post script edits.

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From the beginning of A Common Life, Morgan and I have publicly tried to equip, educate, and encourage others in gardening. Throughout this effort, I have largely avoided the topic of bermudagrass. When I do mention it, it’s usually at the end of a section, with an asterisk, and I tell people to reach out to me directly if they have it in the lawns and want a garden. I feel like it’s time. So, let’s discuss it.

First, A Story

When Morgan and I first got started market farming, we placed our garden in a field that had previously been growing bermuda for hay production. We had a few other options, but at that time, the spot we chose in this field was what we thought best.

We didn’t want to spray any chemicals on the field. I was very anti-Roundup and wanted nothing to do with it. After consulting with an organic agronomist we decided to try and kill the bermudagrass with repeated tilling. It worked.

Breaking ground for the first time. So much I’d do differently now.

At the time, I thought it was a success. The bermudagrass was dealt with and no chemicals were used. But now when I look back, I’m sure I made a mistake. In the process of killing the bermuda, I devastated the soil composition and the soil biology. The heart and soul of our garden - the soil - would have been better cared for if I had simply sprayed the field with glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) and never tilled.

I bring up that story because I’m hesitant suggesting to readers to use glyphosate in and around their garden area. However, based on my experience, the protocol below is what I would do if I was faced with putting a garden into a bermudagrass lawn.

So you want a garden, but you have a bermuda lawn. This letter is for you.

First, what’s the big deal with bermuda? Bermudagrass is very hard to kill and hard to keep out of your garden if its around. Mulching will control other plants and grasses but not bermuda. Bermudagrass spreads by sending above ground shoots horizontally along the ground. These shoots are called “stolons.” They can grow as long as 1,000 feet and every couple inches, these stolons will send roots down into the soil and blades of grass up into the air. If you are trying to grow a lawn, this is great! If you are trying to grow a garden, this is bad. If you cover bermudagrass with a mulch, these stolons will eventually find their way to the surface and continue growing. Simply pulling the grass from the soil doesn’t work because any roots left in the soil will continue growing.

How do you know if your lawn is a bermuda lawn?

Bermudagrass blades are very thin, have a pointed tip, and are true green in appearance. The grass isn’t a tough grass, rather it is soft to the touch. It is a warm season grass and begins to green up during the late spring. It’s seed heads have three prongs (also called “spikes”) that fan out from a center point.

So you have a Bermuda lawn… Now What?

If you have a bermuda lawn and you want a garden, here is my suggestion: Move.

I’m kidding… Kinda 🙂

Here is the protocol I suggest. And this applies to someone wanting to do an in-ground garden or raised beds.

1. Mark out the area where you want your garden to go.

2. Then, mark a 3-5’ wide perimeter around the garden.

3. Get some glyphosate (active ingredient in Roundup) and spray the area where you want your garden to go.

4. Wait until it all dies, and then wait some more. Inevitably some more bermuda will rise from the ashes but it will be met with your wrath and another spraying of glyphosate.

5. After this second spraying, wait another week to make sure no more zombie bermuda comes out.

6. Weed-eat/mow the dead bermudagrass residue down to the ground.

7. In the area where you want your garden, put down a few inches of peat moss and compost. If you are doing raised beds, build your beds and fill ‘em up. Remember to leave room for a 3-5’ perimeter.

8. Once you have added your peat moss and compost, mulch the entire area, including the perimeter area. If you are going in ground, make sure to mark the corners of your actual garden area to distinguish it from the perimeter area.

9. This is important: Monitor the perimeter area routinely. Inevitably the rest of your bermuda lawn is going to try and descend upon your garden. when you notice any bermuda trying to cross the perimeter, spray it. Also, it will inevitably creep along under your mulch and pop up inside your garden or between your raised beds. If this happens inside your garden area, pull it up. If this happens in your paths between raised beds, I’d spray it.

10. Keep monitoring and stay on top of it. Never let it get a foothold and you should be good.

Is Roundup so bad?

For many reasons, I loathe the fact that our country has practically built it’s agricultural industry on the shoulders of glyphosate. I think it is incredibly short-sighted and is having far reaching consequences. Included in those consequences are health ramifications. We have friends that live next to agricultural fields and their health is noticeably affected when the farmers spray glyphosate each spring and summer. In our country, hundreds of millions of acres (and food crops) are repeatedly sprayed with glyphosate each year. Our agricultural production is now dependent on it. This is a problem for many reasons, but from a health perspective, I definitely consider it a problem.

With that said, I tend to distinguish between that type of “spraying” and the kind I’m recommending for people who have bermudagrass lawns. They aren’t the same. However, I understand if you disagree and prefer to avoid glyphosate completely.

What about (insert alternative solution here)?

Some people suggest using vinegar or salt to kill weeds. To this, I say you may kill the weeds but you are also destroying your soil. Avoid doing this in your garden.

Some people might suggest tarping. This is when you cover the ground with a tarp that will completely block out sunlight. This encourages seeds to sprout by trapping warmth and moisture. Once the seeds sprout, they die. This doesn’t work for bermudagrass. The stolons will creep outside the tarp and continue to feed and grow.

Some people suggest lasagna gardening. This is where you use cardboard and other materials layered on top of each other to build your soil up and snuff out weeds. Similar to mulch, bermudagrass will grow right up through this. I wouldn’t suggest it as a way to avoid bermudagrass infestations.

If you have some suggestions or differing experiences, I’d love to hear about it. I’m sure the community would too!

I hope this was helpful. If you have a bermudagrass lawn and still want to chat about it, feel free to shoot me an email at Taylor@acommonlife.co

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Post-Script Edits:

I had a reader email me after publication and she mentioned “sodding” as a method of removing bermuda grass. This is an excellent idea. As a matter of fact, I like this method a lot, especially for those living in urban and suburban areas where aggressive hybrid bermudagrass lawns are very common. Instead of spraying glyphosate to kill the grass, rent a sod cutting machine and simply cut out the bermudagrass where you intend for your garden to go. Still extend the perimeter around the garden a few feet as a buffer from the rest of your lawn and be prepared to deal with the invading bermudagrass. When you cut the bermuda out, be sure and go deep enough to cut as many roots out as possible. This means you will likely go 2+ inches deep and will remove a good bit of soil. Once you are finished cutting out the bermuda, replace the cut-out soil with a peatmoss, compost blend. Be sure to add enough soil back to ensure the garden is at or above ground level. You don’t want a low spot where stormwater pools. Mulch the garden area heavily (as usual) and get to planting!

Special shout-out to our dear friend and subscriber Laureanne for bringing this option to my attention!