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A gardener's two best friendsThere are two things that a gardener in Oklahoma simply cannot live without. One of them is bermudagrass. I came to this realization one day when I was out trying to eradicate some of those wild bermuda stolons that seem to be able to creep for miles in order to find some wide open real estate, usually in the middle of a flower bed. They are ruthless and will stop at nothing in their attempt to take over the world. I can remember vividly the droplets of frustration running down my face while I was cursing at this weed that my husband calls a lawn. But, it is difficult to get too worked up about some reckless stolons creeping into a bed when one considers what an asset this type of turf is. No other grass works as hard as Bermuda does in the landscape. It can withstand the wild weather extremes that are frequent in Oklahoma. The only regular thing about Oklahoma weather is that it is irregular. From freezing to flooding to famine, this grass can take it all. About the only thing it can't tolerate is heavy shade. It prefers to work in the hot sun all day rather than relaxing in the shade like that 'sissy' fescue grass. There is a reason that bermudagrass prefers the sun. Turfgrasses are divided into two groups, warm season and cool season grasses, based on the type of photosynthesis used (C3 or C4). Plants with the C4 photosynthetic pathway are those that can grow in hot summer conditions, while those with C3 photosynthetic pathways are not physiologically able to be as effective in hot summer conditions. So grasses such as bermuda, zoysia and buffalo all use C4 photosynthesis, making them warm season grasses. Fescue, bentgrass and bluegrass are all examples of C3 photosynthesis plants or cool season grasses. Bermuda, if provided with decent growing conditions, is also highly aggressive, which explains why we simultaneously love it and hate it. This grass can fill an area of lawn rapidly. The problem is that it doesn't know when to stop. It has no regard for edging or borders of a flower bed. Just last week one of the Master Gardeners brought in a six foot long stolon of bermudagrass that had crept its way into an outside wall of a patio and was climbing up between the sheetrock. She discovered it when tearing the wall down. Bermudagrass is the definition of persistence. Now that we know the good and the bad of Bermudagrass and have admitted that we can't live without it, we must learn to live with it. This is where the gardener's other best friend comes into the picture. The product that kills bermudagrass must be one of the best kept secrets. While glyphosate (the active ingredient in RoundUp) will effectively kill bermudagrass, it will also effectively kill everything else it touches. When dealing with ornamentals in a flower bed this is not usually the desired result. The product that I am referring to is sethoxydim. It is a magical thing, and I feel forever indebted to its creator. Sethoxydim is a selective herbicide that will kill only grassy type weeds. The more scientific term would be monocots, as opposed to broad leaf plants or dicots. So weeds like bermudagrass, annual bluegrass or any other nuisances that show up in the grassy form will be controlled. This doesn't solve all of our problems, since we will be left with the purslane, clovers, dandelions and nutsedges still in the flowerbeds. But think how much time will be left with the weeding of bermuda taken care of. I remember when I first found out about this grass killer. I went to the nursery to purchase a bottle, but I wanted to see the list of plants that it was able to be used around. I felt like I was holding my Powerball ticket in hand listening to numbers being called out. Daylily--yes, sedum--yes, hosta--yes, holly--yes, and the list went on and on. It was great. Wait, the good news doesn't stop there. Not only can sethoxydim be used in ornamental flower beds, but there is also a label for this product that allows it to be used in vegetable gardens. Often times herbicides are not labeled to be used around edibles because of the extra testing that is required to ensure safety in the vegetable garden. You can get sethoxydim from different brands, so be certain to read the label to make sure the one purchased can be used in the desired location. Since this product controls grassy weeds a gardener must not be too liberal. Sethoxydim is good, but not so good that it can distinguish between bermudagrass and purple fountain grass. Extreme caution should be used around ornamental grasses and other plants in the grass family. The relationship between a gardener and bermudagrass is a complex one. I think it is comparable to dealing with a difficult co-worker. Once you understand the enemy and know how to deal with, the problem doesn't seem so big anymore. Happy gardening. 6/9/08 Date: 5/30/08 Advertisement
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