This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Bermuda grass ok in compost?

I would avoid Bermuda grass as long as possible, including in compost.  It
is okay as long as you use only the grass blades but hay usually has seeds
(some will survive the compost cycle) and stems as well as above-ground
stolons which may also survive composting.  The roots run deep and the
stolons continue to grow under mulch.   Soil solarization will kill seeds
near the surface but it will come back from roots and stolons.  Although the
systemic glyphosate herbicides (e.g., Doomsday, Roundup,Rapidkill) will slow
growth and appear to kill it, it comes back with watering.  Besides, you
wouldn't want to use herbicides in or near a vegetable garden.

Pleasure horses in our area are often fed "grass" hay which contains both
common Bermuda and giant Bermuda (a.k.a. devilgrass).  Many seeds will
survive passage through the horse's digestive system as well the compost so
it helps to know something about the horse's diet if you use its manure.

The constant struggle to control Bermuda grass is my biggest and most
unpleasant gardening chore.

-----Original Message-----
From: Margaret M Daniels <daniemm@mail.auburn.edu>
Subject: Bermuda grass ok in compost?


>
>
>     No sooner had I gone out and gotten 10 bales of hay
>     consisting of bermuda and rye grasses did I read in
>     Jeavon's book "How to Grow More Vegetable" that bermuda
>     grass is a pernicious weed that will probably not be killed
>     in the decomposition process (I don't want to do "hot"
>     composting), and which will choke out other plants when it
>     resprouts after the compost is put in the planting bed.
>     Does anyone know if this only applies to the fresh grass,
>     so dried hay is O.K.? Would somehow "solarizing" the hay
>     help? I haven't yet learned how to do that properly.
>     Thanks!
>Peg
>daniemm@mail.auburn.edu
>
>
>--
>To unsubscribe, send a message to: majordomo@lists.umsl.edu
>with the single body line: unsubscribe sqft
>Contact owner-sqft@lists.umsl.edu with any admin questions.
>



--
To unsubscribe, send a message to: majordomo@lists.umsl.edu
with the single body line: unsubscribe sqft
Contact owner-sqft@lists.umsl.edu with any admin questions.
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index