Is wire Grass a form of Bermuda grass?


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Author	Topic: Is wire Grass a form of Bermuda grass?
Meelox unregistered	posted 08 February 2001 23:17 I am from South Carolina and we have a pesty grass that takes over, everyone calls it Wire Grass. It will grow through anything. You can not prevent it. Plastic doesn't help, Spun Bun doesn't help and ROUNDUP does not kill it. I am constantly edging and weeding. I think I am actually pruning it when I pull it up by the roots because it comes back 10 time thicker after I weed. I have ornamental grass around my pool. So I carefully try to ROUND UP kill, this WIRE grass. I have actually poured full strength concentrate Round up on a spot just to see if it would kill it. NO it does not. Now I have a yard full of it...everywhere except where I could use it under the pine trees. IT doesn't grow there. What do I do??? IP: Logged
seed Editor	posted 09 February 2001 18:18 Meelox, I'll try to post some weed pictures here hopefully within a couple weeks. Bermudagrass has also been called devilgrass, if that gives you any idea that we might be talking about the same thing. It's also the world's worst weed. Good chance that's it. Phil IP: Logged
Greg unregistered	posted 07 September 2001 22:11 I have just discovered this question and have the same burning issue here in NC. What can we do to rescue ourselves from this monster? Many thanks! quote: Originally posted by seed: Meelox, I'll try to post some weed pictures here hopefully within a couple weeks. Bermudagrass has also been called devilgrass, if that gives you any idea that we might be talking about the same thing. It's also the world's worst weed. Good chance that's it. Phil IP: Logged
jdell42 Friend	posted 05 December 2001 10:28 Guys, I also live in NC and have this problem. Does anyone know how to get rid of it? Here is a link with the pic of what I think I have. http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/cynda.htm IP: Logged
Lex unregistered	posted 18 December 2001 15:04 An agronomist friend of mine swears that hitting bermuda with atrozine will kill it. I've not had success however. I even wiped concentrated roundup on the leaves but this simply stuns the grass for 2-5 weeks and then it grows back. I read where a mixture of two chemicals has achieved 95-98% control (not eradication) but can't recall what it was. It was very pricey I recall. I'll post again if I find it. I plan to try the following' 1. Hit the bermuda with atrazine (50% stronger than recommended dose) 2. Wait a week and try wiping roundup on the bermuda. Hopefully this one-two punch will take it out. If you really want rid of the bermuda then my suggestion is to get some very strong weed and grass killer, spot spray the grass, wait a week and repeat. Then resod the spots. Good luck to all. IP: Logged
seed Editor	posted 19 December 2001 17:58 Lex, you are probably talking about Prograss (ethofumesate) which can be mixed with atrazine for two springtime applications, followed by Prograss by itself. It's cumbersome, and the research said to do it in the spring "greenup" for bermuda. I think that may have been to reduce the injury from atrazine. Atrazine by itself will hurt the bermudagrass a little more than the St. Augustine, but the problem is that bermuda comes back with a vengeance. Selective spot treatment would be a worthy effort. Phil IP: Logged
rml1964 unregistered	posted 07 August 2002 10:36 I have wire grass in my front lawn and flower beds. This spring I removed EVERYTHING from the flower beds, and lightly mulched them. I am waiting to plant until next spring. Every day or two I pull out any new wire grass growth that I see, and spot treat with Grass-B-Gone from Ortho. I feel like I am getting control of it in the flower beds. However, even after having the front lawn completely reseeded, the wire grass has come back there in full force. It is absolutely the worst weed I have ever dealt with! IP: Logged
LKEasley@attbi.com unregistered	posted 08 September 2002 19:50 I, too, have wire grass all over my backyard and flower beds. I have repetedly dug it up, poured full strength Roundup on it, and it seems that our dry summer just let it take over the whole yard. Someone once said the only way to get rid of it is to move. An old farmer said the only way is two rounds of Roundup but I forgot how far apart. Did you find a way to get rid of it? I am considering moving. IP: Logged
skncheek unregistered	posted 24 September 2002 12:36 I too have wire grass here in VA. I pull and pull, and spray and spray, and it has just taken over my whole yard. I have finally given up and just try to keep it out of my flower beds. I sometimes think the roots go to China. If anyone finds a descent solution, please let me know. I would love to have one of those lawns they show on brochures, but after years of trying, I have given up. IP: Logged
seed Editor	posted 24 September 2002 15:11 I'm still not sure whether "wire grass" is actually bermudagrass: http://turfgrass.com/weeds/bermuda.html Comments? Phil IP: Logged
SativaMaui unregistered	posted 01 October 2002 19:21 Hi all....so weird to read how bermuda is a weed for you all when bermuda IS my lawn. But for all of you asking about it this is what I know: Bermuda grass (cynodon dactylon) or (poaceae). It is commonly called devil grass or wire grass. To prevent it's spread into parts of flower gardens etc here we make a deep barrier or edging....kinda hard to explain but here in SC almost all beds of flowers etc are built up high and have a circle (or edge) around it that is usually just soil or some of us put down heavy mulch , rocks, or shells. For me it is odd that you all can not kill it considering it dies so easily in my lawn if I let it. My resource says constant digging up as much as you can of the rizomes and the grass itself will eventually weaken it so much that eventually that will wipe it out or atleast help in severe cases. Also it advises to never use grass clippings etc for mulch in gardens and also to use a bag mower and discard all clippings instead of mulching back in the yard. What a lot of people tell me is that SOLARIZATION of the area, if carried out during the hottest part of summer, over a period of atleast 6 weeks, kills the seeds and rizomes that are not too deeply buried. When it comes to chemicals it suggests the solarization in combination with a herbicide you all have already mentioned: roundup, grassbgon and another Fusilade. It says atrazine(purge, bonus S) will only help on lawns of st augustine grass, centipede grass, carpet grass, and zoysia grass. I have spent all summer working to save my bermuda....so maybe by finding what saves it will help you all learn how to kill it. Hope I have helped. Good Luck All! IP: Logged
highlightdave unregistered	posted 17 March 2003 12:21 I live in Richmond Va. I have been dealing with the (Wire Grass, Bent Grass, Bermuda grass, whatevery you want to call it. I keep it out of my flower beds with professional landscaping edging. You have to come by and use the weedeater every week. The way I control it is by dethatching every other year and seeding, seeding, seeding. Hopefully one day the Fescue will finally take over. A friend of mine tilled up his entire yard only after hitting it all with brush killer. About 6 months after seeding the wire grass is coming back. You all are definitly right, you cannot kill the stuff. You have to seed every year in the spring and fall. Good luck. IP: Logged
LAWNSCAPES unregistered	posted 08 July 2003 21:28 FELLOWS I JUST CAME ACROSS THIS FORUM AND THOUGHT i WOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT WIRE GRASS AND BREMUDA IS NOT THE SAME THING FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH WIRE GRASS YOU WILL KNOW IT TRY TO FIND A LANDSCAPER IN YOU AREA LIKE MY SELF HE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT YOU HAVE AND FIX THE PROBLEM FUSILADE IS A PRODUCT THAT WORKS BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE TO BUY OR APPLY IT. THAT IS AN OLD SAYING THAT IF YOU DUG UP WIRE GRASS AND LET IT DRY OUT THEN BURNED IT WHERE EVER YOU DUMP THE ASHES IT WOULD GROW BACK AND i BELIVE IT IP: Logged
trjonte Friend	posted 25 July 2003 21:15 Here is Biref quote from http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/documnts/cynodac.html . �An extensive amount of information on Cynodon dactylon is available. The genetics, life-cycle, environmental requirements, phenology, beneficial and deleterious characteristics, and control of Bermuda grass are all well documented. However, the information pertaining to controlling this species pertains to agricultural crop fields and not to the natural environment. Most of these techniques are not economically or practically feasible in a non-agricultural setting�. The website above has a ton of information about Cynodon dactylon. Hope this helps. Good Luck Tracy IP: Logged
rstubbs unregistered	posted 25 July 2003 21:29 Lawnscapes - I live in VA. Sometimes Trugreen-Chemlawn services my lawn. They tell me that Bermuda and wiregrass are the same. They also tell me that no one has made a chemical that kills wiregrass without hurting fescue. They tried some chemical that was suppose to work. It only stressed my fescue. The wiregrass just laughed at it. It has slowly taken over my yard. I have a huge yard and I have even taken round-up to it. It always comes back and even pops up in new spots. Obviously there is a differance between wiregrass and fescue. I wish the chemical companies could target the differance. Maybe then, they could kill it and not the fescue. The chemical companies are welcomed to use my lawn as a test. IP: Logged
trjonte Friend	posted 26 July 2003 23:34 Glyphosate (commercial name -- Roundup, produced by Monsanto) Does not eradicate cynodon dactylon (wiregrass). The best it has done is remove 95% at best of Cynodon dactylon (wiregrass). Per the web site I mentioned in a prior post http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/documnts/cynodac.html. The following is a quote from the website. �Glyphosate (commercial name -- Roundup, produced by Monsanto) is mildly toxic and decays rapidly in the soil. This foliar spray, which should not be used in galvanized steel sprayers, is absorbed in the leaves and translocated to growing regions throughout the plant (Kelly 1983, Ross 1986). Glyphosate, sprayed from helicopters, trailer sprayers or backpack sprayers, at a concentration of 2% will result in an 85% to 95% control after the first year (Hamilton pers. comm., Heathman pers. comm., Silberman pers. comm., Wildman pers. comm., Kelly 1983). The best time to spray is when the carbohydrates are being translocated down to the rhizomes at the time of maximum rhizome growth. A downward movement of the herbicides most likely coincides with the spring and fall rhizome growth period (Rochecouste 1962b). Silberman (pers. comm.) and Brookbank (pers. comm.) recommend the fall spraying of herbicides for maximum effectiveness. A successful restoration project, restoring cottonwoods and willows to a 40 acre Bermuda grass pasture in California, resulted in maximum control with glyphosate alone (Tiller pers. comm., Silberman pers. comm.). Combinations of herbicides and tilling were less effective. In September while the plants where in full bloom, one week before spraying 2% glyphosate from a boom-sprayer, the field was irrigate to encourage growth. A 95% control was seen after the single application. Trees were planted later, placed on a drip irrigation system and fertilized. Hand weeding and spot herbicide treatment continued for the following year. The greatest regrowth occurred around the irrigated trees. Four feet by four feet shade mats (mulch) were placed around the trees to reduce the sprouting of the remaining rhizomes.� Yes indeed it would be great if chemical companies took an interest to create a chemical to eradicate cynodon dactylon (wiregrass) from our precious lawns. Reality sets in when we think about the almighty dollar, and the money that a chemical company would have to spend to find a concoction to eradicate cynodon dactylon (wiregrass) would be to great to recuperate the cost to find the cure. The chemical companies of today would rather sell us products with high expectations and minimal results. These days its buyer beware. Good Luck with eradicating cynodon dactylon (wiregrass). Tracy IP: Logged
H. Rowe at Cappahosic, Va unregistered	posted 15 February 2004 08:15 Cynodon dactylon (wire grass). Cynodon dactylon (wire grass or common Bermuda Grass). Another introduced species which is truly a scourge here in eastern Virginia (along with English House Sparrow, etc). The only way to get rid of wire grass is to "move away". Stop wasting your time and money on chemicals and learn to live with it and work around it. When the colonists came to the East Coast in the 17th century there were no grasses sufficient to support their cattle. They had to let their cattle range far and wide to get enough to eat. Thus the pretty wood-fence enclosed gardens in places like Colonial Williamsburg. The fences kept nothing in - they served to keep the roaming cattle out and off the garden plants. There was even a stockade fence reaching across the Virginia middle peninsula from the York to the James River to keep the cattle from wandering into Indian territory and being Chief Powhatan's next meal. So some enterprising fellow found this grass in Africa - a grass which would survive anything and everything. I am sure he made some real money out of this enterprise. But look on it this way: this introduced "wire grass" helped the colonists survive so maybe, just maybe, this pesky, wiry little interloper is partly responsible for the survival of our nation as we know it today. Look upon this scourge with new eyes. IP: Logged
ted unregistered	posted 15 February 2004 13:46 guys, these posts are almost as amazing as the zoysia posts! bermuda grass, if that's what it is, is a golf course quality grass in the southern u.s. you occassionally find it too far north, where in older lawns it was planted originally. in virginia or north carolina, it has absolutely no place! you should be using tall fescue in those locations. don't confuse bermudagrass with a weed - it is not! it is not crabgrass or bentgrass or a broadleaf weed. if you want to control it, spray professional strength roundup at labeled rates- you will kill it! you have to make sure the ground and grass are wet when you do it- won't work in the middle of the north carolina summer if it's too dry! also important is the height of the grass- make sure it's tall at the time of spraying- weed be gone will not work on it- it's for broadleaf weeds. then after spraying it, you can dethatch and reseed tall fescue in the spots. it's simple- been doing it for 20 years. if after reseeding and spraying roundup correctly, you maintain the new fescue properly you won't have any bermuda back again. IP: Logged
Bermuda Fighter unregistered	posted 22 June 2004 19:46 Here is the simple 14 step process (repeat several steps several times, discard top 3 inches of soil, replace with 6 inches of new soil...) for getting rid of this monsterous grass. If this does not work, try importing dirt from Chernobyl...although I don't think even that will work. I guess it's time to move! http://www.wegmansnursery.com/services.asp?page_id=76 IP: Logged
admerial unregistered	posted 12 August 2004 19:36 wire grass and bermuda grass are ecencially the same thing. I live in NC and I have found the only way to get rid of this terriable weed is to use a herbicide called ornamec. IP: Logged
jmg unregistered	posted 25 August 2004 18:22 I have two large spots in my front lawn, I was told to use round up and kill teh grass and then aerate and oversead with fesque, from all the postings it will not work.I plan to do this soon, Am I wasting my time? IP: Logged
ihatebermuda unregistered	posted 04 April 2005 14:16 i've heard that if you have a st augustine lawn that has bermuda invading it if you raise the cutting height of you mower as high as you can the st aug. will shade the bermuda and eventually kill it. this is my first year trying that hopefully it will work it not im resodding IP: Logged
thnxforhope unregistered	posted 10 April 2005 19:38 i am currently fighting wiregrass myself.... i come from a good line of gardeners... researching it and hope to soon beat it.....i'll keep you updated.... as a contractor my best landscapers tell me if you keep your cut at 3" high it will keep the wire grass from starting.... they also tell me that it can be killed with roundup and the yard reseeded..... i've seen em do it several times..... they use the highest concentrate available and mix that a bit heavy.....good luck....it's a tough fight. IP: Logged
thnxforhope unregistered	posted 11 April 2005 03:03 i have a question for you guys.......i just got back to my parent's home... trying to straighten out the gardens...mom has iris and glads.....i hear weed be gone will kill the grass weeds (including wiregrass... and can be oversprayed) any clues on how to kill the rest of the weeds in the iris/glad rows? IP: Logged
Turfmiester Turfmaster	posted 14 April 2005 19:56 You might have Weeping Lovegrass (Eragrostrum spectablis). (FYI: Any unwanted grass or plant is a WEED.) If you have a lawn of Bermuda grass and some St Augustine gets in it then the St Augustine is a weed. IP: Logged
one wolf unregistered	posted 21 May 2005 12:19 I live in Raleigh NC. To get rid of mine, I tried plugging several other summer grasses to see if any were stronger than wire grass. Zoysia, hybrid bermudas (those designed for lawns), and centepede lose to wire grass, although it takes a long time. Amazingly, I found one summer grass that does beat out the dreaded wire-grass, for good: St. Augustine (Raleigh variety). This is the St. Aug that is common in coastal NC, not in Florida. So slowly but surely, my 1 acre yard is becoming St. Aug rather than wire grass as the St. Aug portion (about 1/4 acre now) spreads out about 7-10 feet per year. I also continue to sprig it in other areas to try to get it going faster. At current rate I suspect I will be all St. Aug and no more wire grass in probably 4 more years. Wire grass is the devil. IP: Logged
Lit'l Cat unregistered	posted 05 June 2005 19:12 Is there any way to kill wire-grass organically? It's almost impossible to clear the wire grass from an over grown bed I'm trying to replant. (I hate using chemicals in my yard b/c of cats, dogs, birds etc...) PS I'm in central VA IP: Logged
sdhatch23 unregistered	posted 23 June 2005 20:41 Last fall I sprayed the wiregrass with roundup. A larger portion of my front yard was brown because this also killed the fescue, of course. I watied 2 weeks and re-seeded. the grass came in nice however this summer I am once again seeing wiregrass is the same areas. this stuff is wearing me out!!!! IP: Logged
FriendlyFace unregistered	posted 27 June 2005 03:57 BERMUDA GRASS is the same as Cynodon dactylon. However, whereas it is used for warm weather, low maintenance lawn cover or for rough at golf courses, in other places it is a terrible weed. It is very susceptible to hard frosts and shade, but pretty immune to weedkillers. It can survive full flooding for weeks. The recommended (and organic) method for eliminating growth is to cover the affected area with thick (1-4 mm) black plastic sheet (or tarp) for one full summer (six months), clear sheet for solarization is sometimes mentioned also. If you are cultivating it (for lawns etc.), ensure that you use a deep divider to prevent rhizomes from invading flower beds. It is better to use a non-seeding variety, to prevent invasion. IP: Logged
decomp unregistered	posted 29 June 2005 19:59 Funny how you guys are trying to kill it and I'm planning on growing it for my lawn. But I live out in the tropics (SEA) where it's warm year round and bermuda is used on golf courses where is takes a team of people working full time to keep it healthy. I find it hard to belive that we are talking about the same grass. Well good luck to you all and I hope you find a way to get ride of it. IP: Logged
paulbrown unregistered	posted 02 July 2005 13:34 I'm in Northern Virginia. My local garden shop says to spray using 6 oz of fluazifop + 3 oz glyphosate + 4 oz "Wilt Pruf" oil in a gallon of water. Oil keeps the herbicides on the plant even if it rains. Apply early July. Will kill fescue, too. Or, sell the house to someone else. IP: Logged
tim unregistered	posted 10 July 2005 16:33 spead salt over your entire yard and wait 50 years or so to reseed. IP: Logged
Kat unregistered	posted 10 July 2005 21:45 I have Nimblewill / wiregrass and I have tried to kill it but the following 1 roundup all areas that are to be flower beds the grinding it away with a weedeater, 2 digging up my lawn, tilling it and seeding it with a more controllable grass. I now have both a lawn and a flower bed crawling with wiregrass and I have bloodied my hands trying to yank it out. I have decided to give up and just live with it. Anyone want some free perennials, Bee's balm, Phlox, lavender, and such also some pretty expensive Iris, and tulips? Richmond VA, Carytown Byr968@aol.com IP: Logged
jeffrough Friend	posted 18 July 2005 06:11 Did you plant from seed or plugs? quote: Originally posted by one wolf: I live in Raleigh NC. To get rid of mine, I tried plugging several other summer grasses to see if any were stronger than wire grass. Zoysia, hybrid bermudas (those designed for lawns), and centepede lose to wire grass, although it takes a long time. Amazingly, I found one summer grass that does beat out the dreaded wire-grass, for good: St. Augustine (Raleigh variety). This is the St. Aug that is common in coastal NC, not in Florida. So slowly but surely, my 1 acre yard is becoming St. Aug rather than wire grass as the St. Aug portion (about 1/4 acre now) spreads out about 7-10 feet per year. I also continue to sprig it in other areas to try to get it going faster. At current rate I suspect I will be all St. Aug and no more wire grass in probably 4 more years. Wire grass is the devil. IP: Logged
roger in NC unregistered	posted 23 July 2005 08:53 I have dealt with the wire grass issue for 9 years now in my yard. The way that is effective for me is to spray Round up Pro set at 3 oz per gallon, in a hose sprayer. I do this in late September every year where I have it. I then spot spray Round up Pro during the year, at 4 oz per gallon to control it. It is very important to lightly sprinkle your yard a couple of times after you spray it, so that it soaks into the roots. After two weeks I use my tiller to get up the runners, then aeriate and sow with seed. It works for me. IP: Logged
Ed77 unregistered	posted 23 July 2005 19:10 I think many here could save a great deal of effort if they spent some time working on techniques for foliar feeding. ...These same techniques that reduce feeding requirements by as much as 90%, can also significantly increase the effectiveness of applied herbicides. Growing plants have daily diurnal cycles for their growth and nutrient ingestion. Proper timing and careful notice of ambient temperature can make all the difference in partial or total effectiveness. IP: Logged
damnedwiregrasskillers unregistered	posted 27 July 2005 00:47 Internet search says use: Fusilade Ornamec Turflon Ester to kill wiregrass/wild bermuda. I live in NC and am about to try these guys. IP: Logged
ChiefTurf unregistered	posted 30 July 2005 07:24 Bermuda (wire grass) is a tough booger. I have one neighbor who actually planted the stuff seven years ago. He never watered so the stuff stayed put. Property was sold and the new owner put in a sprinkler system. Now the stuff is kept wet all summer long and has spread in all directions. After two years battling the encroaching wire grass...I established a three-foot border [de-bermuda zone (DBZ)]. I also keep my tall fescue lawn cut at 3.5 inches tall...this helps control weeds and the bermuda. However, each fall I wind up raking the stuff up with a stiff garden rake, aeriating, and re-seeding with tall fescue. This is the only way I've found to control the bermuda blight here in Yorktown, VA. IP: Logged
kendra unregistered	posted 07 August 2005 16:14 Hey ChiefTurf, i just read your post. Would you elaborate a bit on what you do in the fall to help control the bermuda? I'm new to yardword and have a tall fescue yard as well (with clover, bermuda and a bit of crab grass). Have you tried the Ornamec? Thanks, IP: Logged
ncbob unregistered	posted 28 August 2005 12:15 Wiregrass and Bermuda are not the same. I see this discussion on every board I seek help on. If you have wiregrass, you know the difference. I am to the point that I have given up. I will spend no more money on it until Scotts or one of the other yard products companies come up with something for it. All of the fertilizer/weed control products I have wasted money on could have put someones child through school. I am done. IP: Logged

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