There is a mix of two grasses in the photo. The very thin grass is, I believe, crabgrass. The thick one may be Burmuda. The fine one is the one with the long tough runners deep underground. Bermuda seems to send runners on the ground surface and are a little easier to dig out.
I get out an work an area the day after I have watered deeply. Otherwise I cannot dig the hard sandy soil. Then I work an area until I give up for the day. It does take a long time to work on a patch.
I am going to look into corn gluten, as mentioned in the HGTV article Francesca recommended. Just be sure that you copy and paste it into Google, do not click on it to go directly.
www.hgtv.com/landscaping/weeds-in-iris-beds/index.html
Very interesting..
Thank you for your advice.
Jan in Chatsworth
From: "sdayres2@aol.com" <sdayres2@aol.com>
To: iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 5:41:34 PM
Subject: Re: [iris-photos] Crabgrass with photo
Jan:
Looks like Bermuda grass to me. I dug my front yard flower beds
out of that stuff. I know what you mean about the underground
runners. I dug out the soil in a 3 by 3 foot area into a wheel barrow and
went through and pulled out those runners. It was more comfortable working
at the wheelbarrow height. I buried all sorts of organic stuff when I
replaced the soil. It took a long time doing a 3 by 3 foot section
at a time.
I can't imagine doing that on 1/3 acre with irises already in place.
However, some types Bermuda grass is tough enough to beat Round-up. It
will come back eventually. However, it will stop spreading until you are
able to dig it out.
Good luck!
Scarlett
In a message dated 9/19/2009 11:46:47 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
janicelauritzen@ yahoo.com writes:
Francesca, Yes, I do have over three acres but I only try to
control the weeds in the iris and flower areas - about 1/3-1/2 acre. I
do try to pull the 2-3 in tall seedlings and they are not the problem.
It is the clumps which come from the underground runners. They can
travel over a foot and are frequently over 6-8 inches deep. They go
under and through the iris rhizomes. As I dig and try to pull them out
it disturbs the rhizomes. Also, the runners break off and every node
which escapes grows. It is a tedious process to try to follow and get
them out without digging up the rhizomes. That is why I am seeking a
method to kill the grass without disturbing the rhizomes.
I am
attaching a picture to show everyone what I am dealing with. Maybe you
call it something else. Here we call it crabgrass.
Thanks to you
and to everyone else.
Jan in Chatsworth
From: Francesca Thoolen
<arilpums@comcast. net>
To:
iris-photos@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009
6:26:23 AM
Subject: Re:
[iris-photos] REB: Belvi Queen - Mike, Griff, Janet,
Loic
Jan, We live in the SF East Bay Area, and for
poison oak we cut them, very carefully, down to the ground, leaving a small
stub and take weed killer and paint the tips, pure, right out of the bottle or
can. They not only die but do not come back! This of course would be difficult
to apply to crab grass which up scattering seeds covers all areas, even where
irises grow. For them, we wait for their new 'seedlings', when they are about
2-3" tall, wet the ground to soften it and then just patiently pull them
out before they can grow any taller and reach seed scatter status. The roots
are about only 1 inch or so long and they come out rather easily. Although
tedious as it may sound it does protect the valuable plants we do not want to
kill. However this would not be practical if you are talking acreage!
-----
Original Message -----
From:
g*@yahoo.com
To:
i*@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Saturday, September 19, 2009 6:03 AM
Subject:
Re: [iris-photos] REB: Belvi Queen - Mike, Griff, Janet, Loic
I had a thought - have not tried it around irises.
We live in the mountains and have plenty of poison oak,
it can get very expensive to use round-up so we go to the
99 cents store and buy bleach. 100% in the sprayer and
coat the leaves top and bottom - from a distance!
In less than 24-hours they are shrivled and dead.
Nettles have leaves---??? ?
Food for thought.
Janet
From: Jan Lauritzen
<janicelauritzen@ yahoo.com>
To: iris-photos@ yahoogroups.
com
Sent: Saturday,
September 19, 2009 12:01:51 AM
Subject: Re: [iris-photos] REB: Belvi
Queen - Mike, Griff, Janet, Loic
Thank you to Mike, Griff, Janet, and Loic. All of you made great
suggestions. I was afraid to try roundup in any way. I will
definitely try some of these techniques this fall. Maybe I can get rid
of some of the crabgrass at least in the one iris area. It won't so
for the stinging nettles because they are just everywhere. The
crabgrass is in clumps but with those nasty underground
runners.
Thank you all again,
Jan in Chatsworth
From: J. Griffin Crump
<jgcrump@cox. net>
To: iris-photos@ yahoogroups.
com
Sent: Friday, September
18, 2009 7:15:23 PM
Subject: Re: [iris-photos] REB: Belvi
Queen
Jan -- When weeds that can't be
pulled -- i.e., certain ground covers that spread by underground
runners, including, even, bamboo -- invade an iris bed, I pour
maximum strength Roundup into a small container like a baby food jar, then
use an artist's paint brush to apply the Roundup directly to the plant
leaves. It works beautifully on the ground covers, but takes more than
one application on the bamboo. -- Griff
-----
Original Message -----
From:
j*@yahoo.com
To:
i*@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Friday, September 18, 2009 2:05 PM
Subject:
Re: [iris-photos] REB: Belvi Queen
Linda, Going back to last week, you said "With the magic of
Roundup, a few rebloomers are appearing... " How do you use Roundup
around the irises without getting those strange flowers. My neighbor
used it a few years ago and I had some terrible blooms on the plants near
his field.
I ask because I have a terrible crabgrass problem
in one of my iris beds. No matter how much I dig, some still escapes
me and it comes back in full attack.
Thanks, Jan in
Chatsworth
From: Linda Mann
<lmann@lock-net. com>
To: iris-photos@ yahoogroups.
com
Sent: Monday,
September 7, 2009 12:55:50 PM
Subject: [iris-photos] REB: Belvi
Queen
With the magic of Roundup, a few rebloomers are
appearing...
This one is such a tough, reliable old thing, it
surprises me no
descendants are registered. Not very fertile? Ugly
ugly children?
Linda Mann
E.
TN.
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