You will never get rid of the Bermuda grass. Despite its name, Bermuda grass is native to the Serengeti of east Africa. It has evolved over millions of years to withstand the sharp hooves of the wildebeests that feed on it, and, in addition, the yearly blistering droughts and follow-up fires. Taking on Bermuda is like taking on children...it is a lifelong commitment. (I started to say it was like starting an endless war in Afghanistan, but I have criticized others for discussing politics on this forum.) In any case, don't bother with the plastic approach, it doesn't work. Promise. I tried it on a patch of Bermuda when I lived in Chico, CA and it just didn't work.

Having said that, I cover the area I want to sequester with cardboard (lasts longer) or newspaper and then bury it with mulch. When it reappears, cover again and mulch again. Repeat as needed (forever). Oh, as far as the TYPE of newspapers to try, I've used The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Oklahoman, the New York Times, and The Oklahoma Gazette. Right wing, left wing, middle-of-the-road....it doesn't matter what the politics are, they all last about the same amount of time. You can also use spools of paper from the Daily Oklahoman (they sell leftover spools by the pound) or other dailies from the small towns around here. I think you can get the spools from the Shawnee News Star for free(?).

Taking this approach, you do not need to wait another year to plant your berries. Just plant them and reconcile yourself to guerrilla warfare with the Bermuda.

aikimikey

If I were wanting to start blackberries now in bermudagrass I would make some very nice planting holes about 6 or 8 feet apart. I would make them atleast 2' in dia.. I would spray the bermuda or any other grass to keep it killed out later. If I wanted to plant later I might prep the the soil a little beter.

I never worry about bermuda, or any other grass, It has been here longer than I have and it will be here long after I am gone. I just plan on fighting it as long as I am here.

I think the best advise I have ever heard about gardening is to plant a five dollar plant in a twenty dollar hole, then look after it like it was one of your kids.

Larry

spademilllane - Thanks for the advice on the cardboard and newspaper mulch. This sounds like a reasonable approach, not to mention cheaper in the constant war against Bermudagrass. The Daily Oklahoman is just up the street from us so I will contact them to see what they have to allow on their leftover spools. IF that doesn't work I'm breaking out the uranium 232 :-)

Larry - $5 plant, $20 hole, treat it like your child (with the knowledge that it will probably have to take care of "you" when it's older) Got it. Thanks!!

Michael

I followed method quite similar to Larry's. I planted few fruits trees last spring and this fall planted blue/black berries in the thick Bermuda turf. I just dig big hole and cleared/removed all rhizomes of Bermuda, planted fruit trees as per the instructions. Don't worry about Bermuda, you can always spray Round-up around the tree if any Bermuda emerges in later spring. This technique work for me for those apple/pear trees planted last fall.

Let me know if you come out with any better techniques to get rid of Bermuda. I need to remove another 500 sq feet of Bermuda turf to expand vegetable garden. Presently, I am thinking to use sod-cutter to remove top 3in turf and use rototiller to till and remove remaining rhizomes. I know this may not be appropriate technique as some of rhizome left in raised bed may surface in spring, that time I can remove them by hand or spot spray with round up. I used this technique in the past and worked well.

But I look forward to hear better ideas and suggestions from the GW community.
-Chandra

The only thing I can say about it is that once you have all that nice, amended soil, and keep adding to it every year until you have about 6" to 1' of the nice, fluffy stuff, the bermuda becomes easier to pull out. I don't think it can grip the loose stuff as well as the hardpan and clay. I would venture to guess that friable, good soil is bermuda grass's worst enemy in fact.

Susan

Anything you spray on your Bermuda right now equals tossing money out of the window.

The Bermuda is dormant now, and thus, can't be killed by spraying or smothering.

I have successfully painstakingly dug out Bermuda in several yards.

It can be done. Ever once in a while, some comes back up where I missed a tiny little rhizome piece, and I dig it out right away.

That said, I would go with biradarcm's advice. Dig you holes, clear all Bermuda rhizomes out, and plant when it's time. Then, in the spring use round up on a wind still day, and kill the rest. Realize, you have to spray again and again till it is all really killed.

Moni

I agree with Moni. It is too late to do anything now as it is dormant that is using chemicals . I have rid areas of bermuda grass quite successfully. Using the same method the yard care services around here do. Spray with Round-up twice ten days a part and then ten days after the second application spray anything with green still showing. This has worked well for me. Bermuda grass is a lot like bindweed. You have to be persistent and diligent in spraying. If you miss and give it a chance too start recovering then you have to start over. You can get there by digging it out deep and removing all the rhizomes and then removing any sprig that appears as soon as it does. This takes longer and a lot more work. And you have to be very attentive and promptly remove all sprigs as they appear over a longer time period. Which allows for more of a chance to miss one and then it will spread fast. Jay

Try doing some homework on a chemical called Clethodin. I never offer a blanket recommendation on any chemical, because everyone's facts and circumstances are different. You should think about safety factors and environmental impact specific to your situation.

Last year I went in search of volume pricing on an expensive retail product called Ornamec. I am in a world of hurt on my ornamental beds, and the reality is I will never be able to dig out all the Bermuda or put a stop to the crab grass. I sought Ornamec because I knew it to be an effective grass killer that would not harm most ornamentals. A quart of concentrate, priced at roughly $35 would come nowhere near doing what I needed it to do in 11,000 square feet.

I was ultimately referred to a chemical called Clethodim. It is used in certain vegetable fields to eliminate grass without killing the vegetables. (It can not be used on corn because corn is a sort-of grass.) I chose it because it has a narrower spectrum than Round-up, meaning it doesn't kill everything, in a place where I didn't want everything killed. I shy away from statements like "it's safe for vegetables" because one way or another every chemical has some sort of impact. For my purposes, I found this to be less impactful, and therefore more suited to me.

It, too, must be used when grasses are not dormant, and the weather is somewhat warm. When mixed it requires use of a surfactant.

I share this in hopes it may help someone who is looking for a less expensive, smaller spectrum chemical than Round-up. But again, do your own homework.

Seedmama