Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) Photo: Betty Marose
Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a perennial, warm-season, non-native grass, also called wiregrass.
This grass has a creeping, spreading habit. The foliage has a gray-green color; leaves are about 1.5 - 6.0 inches long. The ligule has a ring of white hairs. It can grow up to 2 ft. tall in the summer and then goes dormant in the fall and turns brown.
This grass spreads aggressively by strong, wiry stolons (above ground runners) and underground rhizomes.
This grass thrives in full sun and high temperatures. It dies out in the shade. Mowing a lawn too short creates a favorable environment for it.
Maintain healthy, dense turf that can compete and prevent weed establishment. Mow lawn at 3-4 inches high during the growing season and seed bare spots.
In ornamental beds, small infestations can be dug out by hand. You must remove all parts of the root system. Do not rototill live plants as the weed can regrow from root pieces left in the soil.
Manage Weeds Without Chemicals
Perennial grasses like bermudagrass are extremely difficult to control selectively in turfgrasses.
A liquid, selective post-emergent herbicide with the active ingredient Fenoxaprop can be used to suppress bermudagrass in lawns.
Alternatively, use glyphosate (a non-selective herbicide) to spot-treat or renovate the entire lawn. Renovation should be initiated in mid-to-late August allowing time for reseeding in September into early October. Weeds must be actively growing in August when glyphosate is applied.
To improve control, water well and allow foliage to grow a week or two before treating. Apply glyphosate at the rate recommended for your weeds and do not disturb the foliage or roots for a week after application. Water to encourage any re-growth and treat again if new growth appears. But, be aware chances are good that the bermudagrass will return again in the future. New grass can be seeded 7 days after treatment when you are sure the weedy grasses are dead.
Bermudagrass Suppression Methods | Oklahoma State University Extension
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