I am preparing to move into new house, therefore will need to start new garden -- such fun!
Thus far, the anticipated garden spot is covered in Bermuda (I'm assuming -- the place has been vacant for almost two years and there is knee-high brown dead stuff -- I am sure Bermuda is down there somewhere!) So, what is the suggested why to rid of the Bermuda and prepare for decent gardening?
This past year thinking I would be in present home till death took me away, I started several new garden spots, hand digging garden beds, getting every trace of Bermuda out. Needless to say, that was hard work and I am not looking forward to doing that again. So I am debating the use of Round-up or a 10% (?) vinegar solution that I read about. Also, time if of the essence -- TX heat waves will be here all too soon.
Has anybody heard about Brix Gardening? http://www.highbrixgardens.com/index.html
It does sound interesting, maybe too good to be true. I'll admit, I'm desperate. It has been too long since I had a really good garden with fresh veggies! The last was three years ago in Montana.
Thanks for any and all advice!
starting brand new garden need advice
I have friends that have used this stuff and it does kill bermuda grass--I've seen it with my own eyes. I'm all organic and this stuff is way too over the edge for me--you cannot grow anything edible for one year where you use it. But it does work on Bermuda grass and its from a Texas company; if you aren't organic and you want to grow annuals for a year in that spot...
http://www.wildseedfarms.com/garden%20products/ornamec.htm
luckily I don't have much bermuda left, but its the hardest to get rid of in Texas
Debbie
A pain to get under control, but worth the effort
One way it to till it and hand pixk all the grass and root nodules, then a couple more rounds of hand picking a month or so later when the leavings sprout.
Another is to use Roundup.
Frank
I also have Bermuda in my south west Mo. yard. Thanks to the state ag departmen that recommended it to farmers as summerr Pasture some 50 years or so ago. Someone called it devil grass. He was right on.
Joe
Grow a row for those in need.
You can cover the garden area with plastic and use solarization to kill bermuda grass but it takes a long time. Here is an article about it. http://www.ecocomposite.org/restoration/soilsolar.htm
Round up doesn't work on Bermuda or Nutgrass permanently, only temporarily.
dmj, it sure works on bermuda grass for us. Of course, with the acre of pasture we have in bermuda, it reseeds the next spring, but we mulch heavily and that manages it without a lot of effort. And of course any bermuda outside the bed will send out stolons out that work there way into the bed.
Controlling bermuda is a continuing process.
Frank
This may be no help at all, but DH and I till and then pick every bit out. Tedious, but...I'd try chopping to smithereenies then solarizing, then amending your soil, then praying a lot --if it were mine to do...
I should add our first plot was REALLY small because we did it this way. Gets bigger every year.
Thus far this project still looks like lots of work! I'm thinking I'll just work on it all summer and prepare for a fall garden. So today I ask my dad (87 yrs) if I could use some of his well-prepared garden spot that he has since "sized down" from. He was very agreeable. Of course this won't be near as easy as having it in my own backyard, but I will be appreciative of a ready-to-go plot of soil. I have a few potatoes begging for a bit of dirt, oh and peas, yes, I'd love to have fresh peas -- and my favorite --- Corn!
Thanks for you input!
Raised beds? That's what I'm doing - two layers of cardboard with RR ties over it, then mulch and dirt.
And a bit more cardboard with a tire on top of it to start the taters - anyone else do tire-stack taters? This will be my first year.
Bermuda is one of my biggest pains. Luckily, Roundup does work on it here, just a lot slower than it did when I used it in Phoenix, where solarization was the best option, IMO.
Some people (Darius was one) on the Sustainable Living Forum was talking about Brix...