HELP!!! My Bermuda Grass is taking over

Name: Valerie Blettner

Subject: Bermuda Grass with runners

Message: What is the best way to keep my lawn grass with runners out of my garden beds? Is the only way to just pull them? A lot of the roots are running under my mulch and weed fabric. Valerieblettner@gmail.com

Dear Valerie...

I know exactly what you are talking about. Bermuda grass has thousands and thousands of runners. The way I control it is to ensure that I have 3-4 in deep trenches in my garden beds so when the gardener edges, he can get down to the dirt and that helps keep the bermuda grass from running. You need to edge deeply enough so you have cut the roots and stop the grasses from going under the mulch and the weed fabric. It is one of those never ending situations, I am afraid.

IMPORTANT: the WORST thing you can do is to pull the grass. Here's what happens: you are basically telling the grass to divide and conquer: one makes 10, 10 make 100, 100 make 1000. So please don't do that.