How to Kill Grass Roots in a Garden

Keeping grass out of the garden can be frustrating.

Planting a new garden and seeing grass taking over it is frustrating. Some grasses such as nut grass and Bermuda grass spread through underground runners. The runners grow rapidly, taking over the garden if left unchecked. Digging out the roots is not always successful; in that case, gardeners can use an herbicidal product containing glyphosate to kill the grass. Extended control herbicides generally have immediate success in killing the roots and stop new growth for up to four months. Regular grass killers kill the grass roots after applying, but require more frequent applications if new grass develops.

Things You'll Need

• Pump-up sprayer
• Water
• Cardboard

Instructions

1. Apply the grass killer during the warm growing season from spring throughout summer. Many grasses such as Bermuda go dormant during cooler seasons of autumn and winter and stop growing. The grass killer will not be as effective sprayed on dormant grass.

2. Apply the grass killer on a sunny morning when no winds or rains are in the forecast. The product will have time to stick to the unwanted grass and kill it. Rains can wash the herbicide from the grass and winds can blow the product onto other plants and kill them.

3. Turn off any water to the garden such as sprinklers or hoses. Keep the area water-free for at least 24 hours, allowing the grass killer to work.

4. Shake the bottle of grass killer to mix all the ingredients together. Fill a pump-up sprayer with the grass killer, according to label instructions concerning amounts. Use an extended control grass killer and a regular grass killer the same way.

5. Add water to the sprayer, according to the label instructions concerning amounts. Screw the sprayer's top on. Shake the sprayer to mix the water and herbicide together.

6. Test the sprayer's nozzle pattern by adjusting its tip and spraying on a hard surface without vegetation such as a concrete walkway. Twist the nozzle tip right or left to adjust the spray pattern and test until you achieve the correct pattern.

7. Hold a barrier against plants you do not want the grass killer to spray on, as it can kill them. Use a piece of cardboard and place it against the plant separating it from the unwanted grass.

8. Spray the herbicidal grass killer on the grass until it is saturated. Most products containing Glyphosate require anywhere from one to four hours of sticking to the grass to fully kill it.

9. Reapply a regular grass killer herbicide in three to seven days if new growth appears, or the grass has not turned brown. Reapply an extended control grass killer in approximately three to four months, if new grass growth appears in the garden.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear gloves and sunglasses or safety glasses if you are afraid the product will get on your skin or spray into your eyes.

• Keep children and pets off the sprayed area for approximately one day after applying the product. Most product labels will give you a specified time of when it is safe for children or pets to enter the sprayed area.

• Most products containing Glyphosate show results in anywhere from one to seven days.

• Extended control grass killers may affect the planting area's soil. Flower and vegetable seeds may not germinate if planted in soils where the herbicide is used.

References

• Bermuda-attractions.com: How to Kill Bermuda Grass
• Scotts: Kill Grass and Weeds