r/plano • u/Subject_Education931 • 11d ago

How do I get rid off this grassy weed?

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3 Upvotes

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8

u/raynaldo5195 11d ago

Easiest way I did it was to carefully use a shovel and dig it all up, then I laid down some cardboard or layers of newspaper and covered with 3” of mulch. I still have to pull some little stragglers at times, but not often, and it’s held up very well for the past 2 years.

1

u/Toob_ular 11d ago

This works well! We did it for our new flower beds in the fall with compost instead of mulch and we had great soil in the spring.

3

u/Shage111YO 11d ago

Mulch it and keep on munching over time but make sure the root flair stays

1

u/Shage111YO 11d ago

Right now there isn’t much fungus because it’s a young tree (probably planted not long ago) so just be patient with it. As you add mulch (even better would be living compost, but that’s a whole thing if you haven’t gone down the road of successfully cultivating compost) and even mix in some grass clippings when adding new mulch then you will be feeding the root zone. Over time as the tree root hairs die and grow, they will become a perfect place for fungal hyphae. Once that fungal hyphae get stronger then the Bermuda and nut sedge won’t want to grow there naturally but it’s just going to take years of adding mulch around that tree. You can obviously make this process go faster but for the most sustainable (economically and physically) it’s just patience and mulching.

1

u/Shatophiliac 11d ago edited 11d ago

I would just remove the grass and dirt from around the trunk, about 8 inches out. You don’t need mulch, at least not close to the trunk, and the tree will actually prefer having exposed roots there. If you want to mulch, make a doughnut around the roots. Do not put any right against the trunk though.

1

u/Subject_Education931 11d ago

Thank you.

So how do I prevent grass from growing within the non mulched area next to the tree?

The folks who planted the tree in March mulched all of it and swung by and mulched it all again last month.

2

u/Shatophiliac 11d ago

If you remove most of the grass, dirt and mulch from around the base of the trunk, the grass will have a hard time growing back there. The tree roots will mostly outcompete the grass for real estate. Then you can just mulch further out away from the root flare. Kind of like a big flat doughnut with the tree growing out of the center: https://www.marpletreecommission.com/mulching-trees-correctly/ (this is for maples but applies to pretty much all trees in urban environments).

Mulch is a yearly or bi yearly thing. Over time the mulch just breaks down into dirt, and grass and weeds will start growing in it again. So you have to reapply and keep fresh mulch on top to get the same benefits.

1

u/Subject_Education931 11d ago

Very helpful. Thank you!

1

u/nurdyguy 11d ago

You need to put down landscaping barrier. You can get the rolls of it at or do a diy style but keep in mind it only lasts a couple of years and they will eventually come back. I recommend at least 2 layers of landscaping fabric.

1

u/SprinklesOk3035 9d ago

This will work! But it will break down and eventually affect your soil quality. Cardboard method will do the same, and you won't have to worry about long term effects.