How to Get Rid of Bermuda Grass

Remove bermuda grass from your yard.

Bermuda grass is an invasive wild grass that is native to Africa. It is sometimes used as a lawn grass because of its ability to withstand high temperatures, but its high water requirements make it less than ideal. Bermuda grass will often invade a lawn and quickly begin taking over. It is tough to control and not easily removed, and once removed it may quickly return to the area. Removal is easier during the summer when growth is the most active.

Things You'll Need

• Hose
• Sprinkler
• Glyphosate
• Lawn mower

Instructions

1. Run sprinklers on your lawn for 40 minutes daily for one week. If a sprinkler is not available, water well with a garden hose for the same amount of time. Do not cut the grass, allow it to grow.

2. Cover any nearby plants or other lawn grasses with plastic or a thick layer of newspaper to protect them from chemicals.

3. Spray the Bermuda grass heavily with a weed killer that has glyphosate as the main ingredient. Follow package directions and apply using the heaviest spray on the bottle.

4. Wait four days before watering the grass again, then resume watering for 40 minutes a day for three days.

5. Treat the grass with the glyphosate again and leave it to soak in for two weeks.

6. Cut the grass with a mower set on the lowest setting so that as much grass as possible is cut.

7. Spot treat any new Bermuda grass growth once a month with glyphosate. Replant the area with a preferred grass or other foliage to prevent the Bermuda from returning.

Tips & Warnings

• To kill Bermuda grass without the use of chemicals, avoid watering the grass for several weeks. Use a tiller to dig up the rhizomes of the grass and allow them to dry out in the sun to prevent regrowth.

References

• Danny Lipford: How to Control Bermuda Grass
• Desert Botanical Garden: How to Remove Bermuda Grass Lawn