Hardiness Zone: 7b
Crystal from Batesville, MS
Getting rid of monkey grass is tough. Here is what I would do if I were you:
Monkey grass needs to be contained with a root barrier to keep it from spreading. That is because it spreads by rhizomes and bulblets. Without a root barrier of at least 12-18 inches deep, any digging, thining, or smothering you do will not work for very long. The Monkey grass will simply send out scout (roots) and pop up somewhere else in your yard.
For the summer, your best bet is to install a root barrier around whatever you can and keep it mowed as short as possible to keep the snakes away. You can also start to dig out what your can; just make sure you get all of the rhizomes. In the fall, cover what remains with a tarp and hope that by the following spring it will be dead. If more pops up, the soil will be easily workable to dig out what remains. (If you prefer, you can also cover the Monkey grass now, but I'm assuming you don't want the eyesore during the summer.)
Regular thinning and dividing is another strategy for areas that cannot easily be covered with a tarp. A root barrier will still need to be installed these areas to prevent further spreading. No matter what methods you use, there are not any easy solutions. It may take a couple of seasons for you to get rid of it completely, so be patient.
Good luck!
Ellen
Here is a very good article with pictures showing the differences of the types of grasses and how to control them. I have liriope and keep it controlled by thinning it every other year.
www.southernliving.com/
Hope this helps,
Tina
I have had monkey grass for many years and have never seen a snake or any other critters in our around it. You can put a chemical called round up on it and it will kill any vegitation in that spot.
Or you can dig it up and send all you can to me. I will take if off your hands, I am in need of it for a creek that overflows, contact me at butlersj59 AT yahoo.com
Any grass I need to get rid of, I put plastic over it for a few weeks, till it dies, good luck.
Send all you want to me. I would be thrilled to put it around my rock flower beds and banks.
We have tried Round up multiple times. It looks better after we spray it. We have used a weed eater to cut it out. I have mulched it over every year. It just springs back up. It was already here when we bought our house.
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