How to Kill and eliminate St. Augustine Grass From Flower Beds and Gardens

St. Augustine grass is a wonderful lawn grass for many areas where there is ample water. However, if it crosses into garden beds it can be hard to kill. Here is how to eliminate it.

Instructions

1. Know how it propagates in order to stop it. St. Augustine grass spreads by stolons or root stems which advance forward claiming new ground. This makes it a good lawn grass that keeps bare spots covered but also makes it invasive.

2. Put up a good barrier between your St. Augustine lawn and your flower beds. Place a line of pine bark mulch, about a foot wide between beds and the lawn. At the edge of the bed bury plastic edging at least six inches deep. If you notice any St. Augustine grass stolons crossing over you can pull them up. Be sure and get every part of the root.

3. Selectively apply herbicide. If St. Augustine grass has begun to colonize a flower bed get a painters mitt. These are gloves made of wool that are used to paint pipe. Put on a rubber glove, then the painters mitt and pour Roundup weed killer diluted at the recommended rate on the glove. Run the glove across all the grass in the flower bed, pulling it up the shaft and careful not to touch any bedding plants.
   Once the grass dies pull what remains out of the flower bed and repeat the process for any new growth. Careful not to get any weed killer on your skin.