Killing Bermuda

[ron mexico75]

I know this stuff sucks!!!!! Ive been reading on how to control it in fescue and that it can take several years. Here is my situation; I have someone that has a nice looking fescue lawn. There is a section that is 100% bermuda and it buts right up against the fescue.

Imagine a backwards letter L, the bottom of the letter that would come down and extend to the left. That entire area is bermuda and it is starting to creep into the part of the lawn that would be the section of the letter "L" that goes straight up.

The person told me that they want the bermuda out of there and wants tall fescue to match the rest of the lawn. Here is what Im thinking but I don't know if this is right. Im thinking its a good idea but wanted to get some others opinions.

I was planning to spray it with Quick pro. It has 73.3% gly and 2.9% diquat. I was foing to wait a week and then spray again. Hopefully it would be toast at this point. Then I was going to scalp it down to almost bare dirt to get rid of all the thickness on top.

After scalping I was going to till as deep as possible, maybe down to 6-8 inchs. I know its not a good idea to till due to the grass wrapping around the tines, but I figure if I scalp it down first then it should be minimal tangling up in the tines. I do expect some though.

After I till, I plan on removing all the loose soil and bringing in new soil, seed, fert and put a covering on top like pete moss.

Does this sound like a decent plan, waste of time, or can you reconmmend a better one?

also, what about the stuff that is not in this main area that has branched out a little bit? Try to hand pull it or what?

The area Im talking about renovating is approx. 20x9

[ron mexico75]

anyone.....?

[ron mexico75]

Would it be better to hit it with ornamec rather then the Quick pro? Or just use the ornamec in the area where the desirable turf is?

[cgaengineer]

Just spray it 2-3 times with 2oz per galling of gly...it will kill it.
Posted via Mobile Device

[ron mexico75]

Originally Posted by cgaengineer

Just spray it 2-3 times with 2oz per galling of gly...it will kill it.
Posted via Mobile Device

Ok I will do that. What's your opinion on tilling and removing soil etc?

You think just spray with gly, re-seed and then maybe treat with ornamec when it starts to come back because Im sure it will.

[1999frontier]

I killed or sprayed gly on bermuda I had coming into my fescue last year. I sprayed twice the same area about a week apart. Then I waited another week or two and seeded with fescue again last fall. The bermuda has came back in the same area. Maybe its because I didn't till or b/c I'm fighting a losing battle. So I'm thinking of going all bermuda next year. Atleast this part of NC anyway.

[ron mexico75]

Originally Posted by 1999frontier

I killed or sprayed gly on bermuda I had coming into my fescue last year. I sprayed twice the same area about a week apart. Then I waited another week or two and seeded with fescue again last fall. The bermuda has came back in the same area. Maybe its because I didn't till or b/c I'm fighting a losing battle. So I'm thinking of going all bermuda next year. Atleast this part of NC anyway.

That's why I was asking about tilling and removing the soil. Im thinking that MAY help it from coming back but nobody with experience has chimed in yet. I also said Im almost certain it will come back if just sprayed so keeping in check twice a year with ornamec might be a solution.

I just wish a more experienced turf manager or landscaper would post because Im very anxious to see if my plan is good or not.

[cgaengineer]

If you spray 2-3 times and allow chemical to work it will kill it. I wouldn't remove the soil...I'd seed over top of it.
Posted via Mobile Device

[tebletlawns]

After you get a good kill, scalp it, hit it with an aerator several times in different directions or a power rake if you have it. Seed and fert, plenty o water. No need to haul it off or till that deep.
Posted via Mobile Device

[knox gsl]

You are fighting a long battle, and most likely will not win. Mix a gly and ornamic solution and hit it several times. Till the area if you want but pick the roots out as you go. Grade and re-seed. If this butts up against another lawn with bermuda give up now or put some kind of natural border between them to keep it from filling back in. For what its worth common bermuda can have roots up to 3 feet deep and stay dormant for a long time.