Re: hydroponic Bermuda grass
Oh Alessandra,
You'll see many hybrid bermuda lawns when you come to California. Even if the
bermuda was not planted, it comes in to other grass lawns on the lawn mowers of
the "mow and blow" (so-called) gardeners that spread it from garden to garden.
Like David Feix has said, these hybrid bermuda lawns are OK if contained and
mowed weekly to keep the seed heads from forming.
I laughed at your hydroponic grass because I also fight this nasty plant with
the long elastic rhizomes which seem to try to get back to central Italy by
delving straight down through the earth. The previous owner of my house had a
hybrid bermuda lawn in the rear of the house. Three years ago before I started
my garden, I had the grass sprayed with Roundup as David has suggested. Then
laborously dug up and sent to the dump where I'm sure it's still trying to make
a come-back. Then several yards of topsoil and compost were laid over and the
garden planted. Every year I continue to top mulch with compost trying to
build the soil as we've discussed on the list. It's really working!
But, alas, here, there and under a few plant skirts, up comes the bermuda
grass; regenerated and reinvogorated. Whenever I find it, out comes the little
floral shovel and down I dig trying to get to the little rhizome. Well, I have
very rocky soil, and that little rhizome is invariably under some great boulder
down there trying to get back to your primigene garden by the straightest
route! When I get done getting out that small piece, or more likely give up,
the garden looks as if I've been trying to dig a bomb shelter!
So bear up and keep laughing. We're in the same pickle! Jan
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Jan Smithen,
Upland, California
jansmithen@earthlink.net
Sunset zone : 19
USDA zone : 10
http://home.earthlink.net/~jansmithen/
Visit the Los Angeles County Arboretum
Victorian Rose Garden website at:
http://victorian-rose.org/
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