Bermuda Grass, You Ain't No Friend of Mine

I'm weeks behind our gardening schedule.  But with Spring break upon us, we're going to get 'er done!  I found Square Foot Gardening a few years ago and I love it!  Overall it's much easier, neater, simpler, and child friendly than typical row gardens.  It does cost some money to get going, but once started requires less upkeep and maintenance. Unless you have Bermuda grass.  

You can see it here, right up against my poor little wooden box.  The box doesn't stand a chance. Living in a rural area, with more weeds in general near us than where more pavement is the rule, weeding is always a big job.  Most weeds that make it into a square foot box are easily removed and fewer in number than in traditional rows in my experience.  Unless you have Bermuda grass.

This is a raised bed box of strawberry plants.  What?  You say you can't see the box?  Or the strawberries?  I KNOW!  Bermuda grass...  I curse you.  

I understand in some parts of the country Bermuda is the grass of choice because of it's drought and pest resistance and it grows heartily.  Oh, don't I know it!  It's also nearly impossible to kill off.  Well, over the decades, Bermuda grass has taken over a LOT of our 5 acres.  Including the area of lawn (and I use that term loosely) where we put our boxes.  Oh, we put the best quality weed fabric under the boxes (twice), but that's no match for Bermuda grass.  It grows by more than one mode, including deep tap rooting, rhizomes, as well as above ground propagation.  Well, isn't that nice?  


I set about finding a solution this year.  So gardening can indeed be simple and enjoyable.  One solution I found was to add a layer of old carpet to the weed fabric under the boxes as very little can stay alive or penetrate the carpet.  I certainly hope so, and so does Michael, who had the job of emptying all the boxes of dirt to do this!  

Jim, a very nice man from Franklin County Horticultural Pest and Disease Board, suggested hitting up the boxes now with a strong weed killer, including about 6 inches of grass surrounding the boxes.  Even this does not get rid of Bermuda grass quickly or easily.  But if you keep hitting it, you'll eventually win, or so I'm told.  If we treated all of our 5 acres for Bermuda grass, we'd have no lawn left!  (which someday will have to happen and be replanted, but not this year).  

Bermuda grass, you ain't no friend of mine.  I also am not a big fan of chemical means of maintenance.  Have you ever heard the phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"?  Well, meet my new friend.  Generic brand weed control and I have just become allies in a war.  I'll have to be careful on future treatments near the boxes to make sure we don't get a couple of drops of weed killer on our vegetable plants.  Defeat is not an option.  


We have our supplies ready.  

Square foot gardening uses a special soil mix, rather than just dirt.  Peat moss helps maintain good soil quality and moisture. 

A nice mix of different composts is essential too.  But I've found, unlike what they tell you, my boxes still need some fertilizer added.   We do have our own compost pile, but neglected to water it enough to produce nicely broken down hummus, or mature compost.  But that'll get done this year also so next year it'll be ready to go.  


We also add vermiculite, which I don't have a picture of.  It's the little silvery things you sometimes see in potting soil mix, which holds on to moisture.  


Seeds on hand.  Somewhat willing children.  Hopefully beautiful weather.  Gardening has begun.