Bermuda grass is a warm-season perennial grass known for its rapid growth and tenacious nature. It spreads using both above-ground runners (stolons) and below-ground stems (rhizomes). These aggressive reproductive structures allow the grass to colonize large areas quickly, with rhizomes sometimes extending several inches deep into the soil. Eradicating this grass requires targeting both the visible runners and the hidden, energy-storing rhizomes.
Non-Chemical Removal Techniques
For those seeking to avoid chemical treatments, physical removal is an option. Manual removal involves digging out the infested area, which is complicated because even small fragments of stolons or rhizomes can regenerate into a new plant. Using a shovel or a sod-slicing machine helps remove the bulk of the runners and top growth, but subsequent hand-digging is necessary to extract the entire root network.
Rhizomes can anchor themselves up to six inches below the surface, requiring deep excavation. Once removed, the plant material must be disposed of carefully, as leaving fragments on the ground can lead to re-establishment. Reducing water to the area will slow the grass’s growth, but this alone will not achieve complete eradication.
Solarization uses the sun’s heat to destroy the grass. This process involves covering the area with clear plastic sheeting during the hottest summer months to trap heat and raise the soil temperature. The plastic must be sealed tightly around the edges and left in place for a minimum of four to six weeks. While solarization kills surface runners and shallow roots, deeper rhizomes often survive, so tilling the area beforehand can help bring them closer to the surface.
Smothering, or sheet mulching, deprives the grass of light. Thick layers of light-blocking material, such as heavy cardboard, are laid over the Bermuda grass and then covered with mulch. The cardboard sheets must be overlapped thoroughly to prevent runners from finding gaps and growing through. This prolonged light deprivation starves the runners and exhausts the energy reserves in the rhizomes.
Strategic Herbicide Application
When physical methods prove insufficient against a widespread infestation, chemical treatment is necessary. Non-selective herbicides, such as those containing glyphosate, are the preferred choice because they are systemic. This means the chemical is absorbed by the leaves and transported down to kill the entire root and rhizome system. These herbicides will kill any plant they contact, requiring careful application or the acceptance that the area will need to be reseeded or replanted.
The timing of the application is important, as the grass must be actively growing to absorb and translocate the chemical efficiently. Applications are most successful during the late summer or early fall. This is when Bermuda grass naturally begins storing carbohydrates in its rhizomes for winter dormancy, maximizing the herbicide’s movement to the underground runners for a more complete kill.
Avoid mowing for two to three weeks beforehand to increase the leaf surface available to absorb the herbicide. The grass should also be well-watered and not drought-stressed. After application, wait at least seven days before mowing or disturbing the area to ensure the chemical has moved throughout the plant. Due to the density and resilience of the rhizomes, multiple sequential treatments, sometimes three or four, are typically required for complete eradication.
Selective herbicides target grasses while sparing certain desirable broadleaf plants, though they are generally less potent against established Bermuda grass runners. These products are most effective when applied in the spring to new, short growth. Always follow all label instructions when using these products.
Long-Term Prevention and Monitoring
Long-term prevention is needed to stop Bermuda grass from reinvading the area. The grass can quickly re-establish itself from surviving rhizome fragments or new seeds. Installing a physical barrier is an effective way to protect adjacent garden beds or lawns from encroachment. These barriers, made of metal or rigid plastic edging, should be sunk several inches into the ground to block the horizontal spread of the rhizomes.
Replacing the eradicated area with a dense turf or groundcover can help prevent the return of Bermuda grass. Since Bermuda grass requires full sun, planting shade-tolerant alternatives like Zoysia grass or Fescue can outcompete returning shoots. These alternatives create a thick canopy that limits the sunlight reaching the soil, suppressing the growth of the Bermuda grass.
Monitoring is necessary to maintain a Bermuda grass-free area. New runners or shoots will inevitably appear and must be addressed immediately before they establish a new network of rhizomes. Promptly spot-treating any new growth with a non-selective herbicide or manually digging out small patches can prevent a full-scale re-infestation.