# Kill Bermuda, Nutsedge, & Other Weeds? Prevent growing through mulch advice



## Im2bz2p345 (Mar 6, 2021)

Hi all,

Long time lurker and first time poster. This forum has a wealth of knowledgeable and helpful folks, so I'm glad to be a part of this DIY community.

I have a healthy bermuda lawn, but the bermuda is creeping into my driveway and there are other weeds sprouting up in the driveway expansion joints.

I also have large trees with bermuda grass growing inside my tree rings. My wife and I manually pulled a bunch of this last year, but it appears to be back.

Lastly, I got some weeds (looks like the super strong "nutsedge") popping through the mulch I have laid down in the areas that I have shrubs.

Pictures:












*Questions:* Is buying glyphosate the way to go for talking care of this bermuda infestation and the other random weeds? I was thinking about picking up a 2.5 gallon of "RoundUp Pro Concentrate." I do my own lawn chemical spraying and have a nice back pack sprayer... but if there are any alternates or better products (cheaper would be a plus too) that I can mix with water and spray myself, I would much prefer that. A little concerned about spraying such a strong chemical (especially near my large oak tree), but I also don't want to deal with all bermuda/weeds.

I was doing some research and found some alternatives to glyphosate/RoundUp (below are some links), but I am not sure if it is worth considering those:
i.e. "Fusilade II" & "Acclaim Extra": https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W237.pdf
Bunch of other options: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/are-there-alternatives-to-glyphosate-for-weed-control-in-landscapes

*More questions:* For future prevention, how can I prevent the nutsedge and bermuda from growing through the areas where I have mulch in the future? I watched videos of weed barrier fabrics, carboard, etc. What is the toughest layer that I can put down with a new layer of mulch on top? Can I just lay it all on top of my existing mulch or will I have to rake that all out first?

I would appreciate any helpful advice as I'm fairly new to owning a house and doing all of this maintenance myself.

Thanks,

~ Im2bz2p345


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I spray roundup near my oak and on my driveway. Hasn't been a problem yet. I'll probably switch to one of the glyphosate products at tractor supply next time I run out of RoundUp because they looked cheaper.

For nutsedge, I think you are going to need Certainty, Sedgehammer, or sulfentrazone.


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## Im2bz2p345 (Mar 6, 2021)

ionicatoms said:


> I spray roundup near my oak and on my driveway. Hasn't been a problem yet. I'll probably switch to one of the glyphosate products at tractor supply next time I run out of RoundUp because they looked cheaper.
> 
> For nutsedge, I think you are going to need Certainty, Sedgehammer, or sulfentrazone.


Thank you @ionicatoms for the quick reply and feedback! I think that I will purchase some RoundUp for now, but if you come across the Tractor Supply product, could you please provide the name? Perhaps I, too, can find it at some places closeby to me.

Appreciate it,

~ Im2bz2p345


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## FranksATX (May 7, 2018)

Glyphosate 41%

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/farmworks-grass-weed-killer-41-glyphosate-concentrate-1-gal-1047993

RM43 for sidewalks and driveway expansion joints or anywhere away from trees/shrubs that you do not want grass.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rm43-tvc-64-oz-76505


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

Honestly though? I hand weed everything but the lawn....


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## Im2bz2p345 (Mar 6, 2021)

FranksATX said:


> Glyphosate 41%
> 
> https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/farmworks-grass-weed-killer-41-glyphosate-concentrate-1-gal-1047993
> 
> ...


Ty @FranksATX! Seems like we're in the same town as well - I'm in the suburbs on the NW side of town 

I had read about glyphosate prior to posting. I ended up buying Monsanto Roundup QuikPRO Granular Herbicide (Glyphosate 73.3%, Diquat 2.9%) which has worked awesome. VERY powerful stuff! I sprayed it and within 2-3 days all weeds have turned brown/are dying.

I had not read about RM43 prior to your post, so a big thank you for mentioning that!

RM43 is 43.68% Glyphosate + Imazapyr (0.78%)

https://www.raganandmassey.com/brand/rm43/

The main difference appears to be RM43 has pre-emergent properties that prevent weeds from coming back for 12 months after application.

Also a good comparison of RM43 vs RoundUp (https://peppershomeandgarden.com/rm43-vs-roundup/):

*Is RM43 Stronger than Roundup?*
_RM43 is stronger than Roundup because it contains 2 powerful active ingredients: Glyphosate and Imazapyr. Roundup only has Glyphosate. This means RM43 kills a broader range of plants more effectively.

RM43 is more effective against a broader range of plants than Roundup.
RM43 remains in the soil for 12 months to kill any seeds that attempt to sprout.
Glyphosate is inert in the soil and does not attack seeds.
For tough weeds, sedge, poison ivy, and brush, RM43 will be more effective than Roundup. Think of RM43 as Roundup with extra firepower, thanks to the inclusion of Imazapyr._

From doing a bit more reading online:
_RoundUp is supposed to become inert once it comes into contact with soil. It's supposed to work as a foliar spray and not affect plants you want to keep.

RM43 will remain effective in the soil for 12 months after application. If you plan to add paving to your landscaping such as a sidewalk or patio, you can use RM43 where the concrete/asphalt will go to control weeds._

Tractor Supply Co (TSC) has it for a great price ($42.99) so thank for you sharing that link! I'll need to check them out in the future when shopping for herbicides.

All the best,

~ Im2bz2p345


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## Overtaxed (May 9, 2021)

RM43 is a bareground herbicide. It will kill anything growing and give you a patch of dirt where nothing will grow for months. It's great for expansion joints and along sidewalks, but not something you ever want to spray in a flower bed (or around your trees).

For a longer lasting kill in an area where you have desierable plants, I use a mix of Roundup and Surflan. The Surflan doesn't kill the soil, it just stops new stuff from popping up. So you can spray it around your trees, in mulch beds, etc. Dimension and other PreM's can probably be used this way too, I just have always used Surflan (and it's such a lovely color, who can resist that??).


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Dismiss for the nutsedge in the flowerbeds.

I just got some RM43, but typically in sidewalk cracks before that, I was using roundup with some Prodiamine mixed in.


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## jedross86 (Apr 27, 2021)

Does any of this stuff stain pavers or cement? I've been hesitant to use anything on the stuff growing between my pavers and have just been hand pulling but it's becoming too time consuming.


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

jedross86 said:


> Does any of this stuff stain pavers or cement? I've been hesitant to use anything on the stuff growing between my pavers and have just been hand pulling but it's becoming too time consuming.


No.


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## jedross86 (Apr 27, 2021)

@Lawndress thanks! I had not thought to use prodiamine either.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

You should read the label on Prodiamine. Mine specifically warned about staining concrete yellow….

I use Roundup glyphosate for my concrete cracks, and selective herbicides for flowerbeds and mulched areas.

I hand pull or weed whack around trees, or else use a corn knife to slice them off….


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

I haven't had a problem before with pelleted prodiamine. It's one of the things I don't sweep off my drive. Our soil is extremely high in iron and all our concrete gets a little stained yellow, so that might be why I can't notice a difference, though.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Spraying 2-3 times a year in the sidewalk cracks with prodiamine and roundup stains less than every week or two with just roundup


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