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Post by Drahkk on Jul 16, 2012 15:31:41 GMT -5
I wasn't sure where to put this question, but here goes:
Does anyone know a good way to get rid of monkey grass, short of digging it all out? I have a bed in front of my house that I would really love to clean out and fill with edible ornamentals, but I've got to get rid of the stuff the previous owner put there. The bulbs and azaleas are easy, but I can't seem to kill the monkey grass. The stuff doesn't respond to glyphosphate, imazaquin, or 2,4d. I foolishly tried to just till it under one year, and all I ended up doing was propagating it throughout the bed instead of just at the edges. I thought about getting a couple of sheets of plywood, laying them over it and parking the lawnmower on top for a year, but it seems like a waste of money. Thoughts? Ideas?
MB
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Post by raymondo on Jul 16, 2012 17:34:15 GMT -5
If you don't mind the bed being covered for a year why not just use black plastic, or if you want it to look okay cover with thick overlapping layers of newspaper and spread mulch on top. Not sure how robust monkey grass is though. I've read that glyphosate will kill it but it needs several applications and it takes several weeks before the impact is visible. What a tough customer!
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Post by Drahkk on Jul 16, 2012 19:58:41 GMT -5
Maybe I just wasn't doing applications close enough together. It seemed like all it did was knock the top few blades off, then come right back a couple of weeks later.
The reason I haven't done plastic yet is also the other reason I haven't done plywood; it is literally right in front of my house. I like the newspaper and mulch idea. Thanks!
MB
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jul 16, 2012 22:59:46 GMT -5
Solarizing with clear plastic was a huge bust for me. The above-ground vegetation died the first day with 140F temperatures... But the ground never got heated up: I was also trapping the intense radiant cooling at night, so it ended up being a wash. All I have to show for it is disintegrated plastic littering my field. I guess that I'll stick with my traditional method:
Till,
Water,
Repeat
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Post by Drahkk on Jul 16, 2012 23:11:54 GMT -5
Mow and solarize with clear plastic, should get all in the top 6 inches 0r so. Needs 3-6 weeks depending on the amount of sun. Clear plastic gets the ground much hotter than black plastic. Will even get rid of nut sedge. Nut sedge just grows up through black plastic. The monkey grass also came right through black weed cloth after I tilled it. The bed is in 70-80% shade; the roof overhang behind it (west) and the tree in front (east) only let through a couple of hours of sun a day. Do you think the clear plastic would still have better results with that little sun, or should I stick with chemicals or smothering? MB |
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Post by Drahkk on Jul 17, 2012 0:46:48 GMT -5
Mow, fire, and chemicals. Have to use the mix with all three. According to NC Extension use same method you would for sedges. Tough to get rid of, takes persistence. The clear plastic came from "Gardening in the Humid South Book." It was when I realized much of what I knew about gardening from growing up did not apply. OK, I'll mow it as low as I can and start working on it. I'll have to be careful burning that close to the house, but everything below the eaves is concrete and brick, so I should be OK if I keep it low. Once I'm pretty sure it is gone I'll put a heavy paper/mulch cover over it until I figure out what I want to replant that can produce or at least look pretty in that much shade. I saw your post about solarizing with clear plastic in another thread, and am planning to get a roll to use on the worst areas in my main garden, as it is in full sun. I just had my doubts about it in this area because of all the shade. Thanks for the tip about that book. I hadn't heard of that one before. I'll be getting a copy from Amazon soon. MB |
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Post by oxbowfarm on Jul 17, 2012 5:13:56 GMT -5
Sorry, it didn't work there Joseph. But why did the plastic break down so fast?? I use 6 mil, and some light clear green left from installing floors. They are at work now trying to reclaim the garden. This is the second year. Joseph gets a lot more UV up there in the thin dry mountain air. |
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