Lawn Replacements and Bermuda Grass

Hello all!

Just joined and am eating up the information here. So nice to find people who think along the same lines as I!

Anyway.
For 10 years I've been overseeding my lawn with yarrow and red clover. There are areas where I have beautiful, soft, lush patches of yarrow that spread happily. I've even had some lawn damage from a back-hoe's wheels and transplanted plugs of yarrow into them. (The clover takes care of itself!) Also some nice lirope plugs, which have also taken off.

In an area where I used dirt to level a very bumpy section, the Bermuda grass has TAKEN over. Despite the seeding with yarrow and clover. I do anticipate the yarrow seeds eventually germinating; they always do.
My question is this: Is there any chance that 1) the Bermuda grass could choke out the lawn replacement items? Or, visa versa, could the lawn replacements eventually get rid of the Bermuda grass? Needless to say I pray for the latter.

I mow high: 6". That's if I get around to mowing at all, actually. I will be putting down my fall seeding this coming week. I usually do a mow, then mix the fine yarrow seeds into espresso grounds (rather than the suggested sand) and use a hand spreader. Other than digging 3 acres of Bermuda grass out by hand, does anyone have a lawn replacement recommendation that is strong enough to choke this evil stuff out?

Or will it always prevail?

Thanks all!
C.
Next question, about the ant hills that make my lawn look like it was tilled....

Hi there! I'm new too, first post! I saw nobody replied to your post and I know that feels disheartening . Here's my go at it.

I don't know much about Bermuda grass. Usually plants are indicators of a soil or environmental need that the plants themselves are fixing. When that is the case, they usually begin a natural decline once we embrace them, let go of the stress, and let them do their job. That is to say, the problem is the solution. There are no evil plants, just our opinions of them that either cause us suffering or don't. Why are you not wanting the Bermuda grass? Because of the appearance? Because it doesn't give you a yield or serve a purpose that you can see? Those are both very reasonable reasons to not want a plant on your property. However I've noticed that my opinion of plant appearance has changed over time. But I've also learned to change my view on a plant upon demand. Looking at the good qualities of a plant can certainly change your opinion of it!
Maybe you could sheet mulch a portion of it to kill the unwanted plants. Then when it's plantable you could plant low maintenance edible perennials! Good luck to you!

Sorry for the slow hello, Christine...welcome to permies! I enjoyed your post and thought someone with more lawn might speak up in answer to your question. I do something similar with crimson clover and ladino clover and chicory and sometimes some rye grass and vetch. We have a lot of yarrow in nice patches that just shows up here naturally. I love anything that is NOT bermuda I am letting some areas of smart weed grow up that are pushing against the edge of an area of bermuda to see who wins out.

and welcome to you too Veronica, good advice........... great to have you here!

Ah Bermuda grass! Ranked the #2 noxious weed in the world, this guy aggressively spreads by seed, stolon and rhizome.

Few things out compete Bermuda grass and I think your success (or failure) to do so depend a lot on your climate. In areas where it is moister, I have heard it is easier to eradicate because the roots do not delve as deep to find moisture. In dry or desert areas like where I live, roots can go down many feet. I purposely asked if I watch the excavation of my neighbor's pool because I wanted to see for myself if Bermuda roots really went deep in the desert (some say as deep as 30 ft). Well I can tell you that her pool is 8 ft deep and I was able to pull a Bermuda grass plant that went down 5-6 ft. Ugh.

The only way I know of to handle ridding oneself of Bermuda grass in the desert is to hand dig and sift (repeat ad nausea). Sheet mulching just forces the grass to the edges, were they gleefully pop up again. I've never tried solarizing but I've known several who've tried without significant success. Planting trees densely will shade it out and then other plants might have a chance to out compete it (St. Augustine grass will out compete Bermuda in the shade here in Phoenix).

You need to get specific advice from people who live in your same climate as to what they've done that has shown some success.

When all else fails, humor is the way to go. I have a theory that in the "end times" only cockroaches, Twinkies and Bermuda grass will survive - forming some kind of weird, post-apocalyptic ecology....

Jennifer Wadsworth wrote: Ah Bermuda grass! Ranked the #2 noxious weed in the world, this guy aggressively spreads by seed, stolon and rhizome.

I think you summarized why I don't want Bermuda grass. It grows up through my raised beds and prevents other (desirable) things from spreading in my lawn. The roots are indeed amazing.

Climate: 7b/8a with absolute full sun. I'm also in what National Parks and Planning calls an "atmospheric trough," which has me getting considerably less rain than anyone around me. No joke. You can drive out of a storm less than 1/4 of a mile a way (i.e. 5 houses down), where they have trees down and flooding. I'll get the run off.

Although I've planted over 100 trees since I moved here in 2002, Only some have achieved shade-providing status. I'm working on it, tho. This season, 12 sun-tolerant Japanese maples will be going into the ground. Slow growers, but they me a lot of color. That won't be shade pushing out the Bermuda grass. I'm wondering about St. Augustine 'Palmetto' grass..

Jennifer Wadsworth wrote: When all else fails, humor is the way to go. I have a theory that in the "end times" only cockroaches, Twinkies and Bermuda grass will survive - forming some kind of weird, post-apocalyptic ecology....

I think you're right. "End Times." Don't forget that somehow, this post-apocalyptic ecology's habitat will be inside plastic pop and water bottles.

Christine Freeman wrote: I think you're right. "End Times." Don't forget that somehow, this post-apocalyptic ecology's habitat will be inside plastic pop and water bottles.

Christine - I think you've just invented the Post-apocalyptic terrarium! Awesome!

If you broadcast a wildflower mix ill bet that you will find some plants that would out compete the grass.