by
Dawn West, All About Lawns Columnist
You've got a nice fescue lawn. Your neighbor, on the other
hand, has an aggressive Bermuda lawn. There's nothing wrong with
Bermuda, until it starts taking over your non-Bermuda yard. How can you
stop the invasive grass? What's the etiquette for dealing with your
neighbor? Here's everything you need to know about encroaching turf
grass. Got a problem with an invasive turf grass? Here's what to do.
A Little Neighborly Heads Up
Before you start spraying and
digging and generally attacking the parts of you lawn that are being
overtaken by the invading grass, go knock on your neighbor's door. Let
him know his lawn is spreading into yours and that you're going to try
to tackle the problem. He may offer to help. He may not. If you're
comfortable, ask for his help. If not, at least he knows what all the
digging is about.
Border Patrol
The invading turf grass makes its way into your
yard along the edges, a little creep here a little creep there. If you
want to fight it, the edges are the place to focus. Unfortunately, the
invading grass is hard to kill without damaging your existing lawn.
Your best bets are to dig out the invading grass or to spray the
invaded area with a non-selective herbicide. You'll kill the good grass
and the bad, but you'll be able to replant the area with 100% good
grass in a week.
No Mans Land
One of the best strategies for preventing turf
grass creep is to separate your lawn from your neighbor's. You can use
a flower bed, a row of hedges, gravel, or whatever suits you. If your
lawns don't touch, his grass will have a much harder time spreading
into yours.
An aggressive, invading turf grass can really get
you down. But with the right steps, you can reclaim your lawn in no
time.
Dawn West B.A. holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and teaches writing at Oregon State University.
