BahiaGrass Chicken Feet

[ZPalms]

Does anyone know how to eliminate this weed from the lawn, It makes going outside to water and stuff so annoying!!! It just finds it's way everywhere and has been trying to creep into my palm beds. Is their anything that won't harm other plants but kill these off and the seeds?

I've been wanting to take control of the weeds for a while but I don't know where to start with these and hopefully replace with clover or something nicer

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by ZPalms

[Silas_Sancona]

37 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

Does anyone know how to eliminate this weed from the lawn, It makes going outside to water and stuff so annoying!!! It just finds it's way everywhere and has been trying to creep into my palm beds. Is their anything that won't harm other plants but kill these off and the seeds?

I've been wanting to take control of the weeds for a while but I don't know where to start with these and hopefully replace with clover or something nicer

 

Because it spreads by thick Rhizomes,, only sure way to eliminate it is by digging  ...and more digging...  Much like Bermuda ( which is harder to completely get rid of ). 

You could also try to solarize it, but that takes time, and may not completely eliminate it ( Can return from any underground Rhizomes that survive ). Solarizing will kill most ..if not all..  seed though.

[ZPalms]

35 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

You could also try to solarize it, but that takes time, and may not completely eliminate it ( Can return from any underground Rhizomes that survive ). Solarizing will kill most ..if not all..  seed though.

Is this were you cover the grass with plastic and everything underneath just dries out and dies?

I've been hand pulling them up here and there but theirs so many and they drop their seeds just from the slightest shake, I may have to just get a shovel and create holes everywhere 

[Silas_Sancona]

24 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

Is this were you cover the grass with plastic and everything underneath just dries out and dies?

I've been hand pulling them up here and there but theirs so many and they drop their seeds just from the slightest shake, I may have to just get a shovel and create holes everywhere 

Yep.. It can take a couple months though..  If you decided to go that route, you may have to work the soil afterwards ( to get worms and stuff back into it ) since " Cooking " the soil can kill just about anything in it, at least close to the surface.  Some people will lay Cardboard down to kill grass / weeds,  and create new planting areas  ..But not sure if that would work w/ Bahia. Don't think it would kill the seeds either.

Be glad you ( hopefully... ) don't have to deal w/ Bermuda, lol..  Nothing is worse than Bermuda grass,  ..and trying to get rid of it.  Would have to do some homework, but think Bahia doesn't dig down as far as Bermuda can ( ....Rhizomes /  Stolons > An above - ground version of a Rhizome <  can dive to almost 3ft to avoid drying out during droughts, at least here.  )

[ZPalms]

26 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Yep.. It can take a couple months though..  If you decided to go that route, you may have to work the soil afterwards ( to get worms and stuff back into it ) since " Cooking " the soil can kill just about anything in it, at least close to the surface.  Some people will lay Cardboard down to kill grass / weeds,  and create new planting areas  ..But not sure if that would work w/ Bahia. Don't think it would kill the seeds either.

Be glad you ( hopefully... ) don't have to deal w/ Bermuda, lol..  Nothing is worse than Bermuda grass,  ..and trying to get rid of it.  Would have to do some homework, but think Bahia doesn't dig down as far as Bermuda can ( ....Rhizomes /  Stolons > An above - ground version of a Rhizome <  can dive to almost 3ft to avoid drying out during droughts, at least here.  )

Sometimes it gets deep, but most of the time I can just pull it up and it just comes up, but sometimes it feels like some get really deep and recently it's been creeping into the cracks of my sabal bed stones. I want to sprinkle clover or something softer that doesn't make the yard look abandoned after 5 days because bahia grass grows way too fast for its own good. I've got nothing but time for the area and I can't even imagine if there are any worms in the sandy dry soil.

I also live near a forest, so any and every plant that decides it's ready to show up in the area I want is most likely going too

I'm really going to have to study around for grass types since I've never dealt with grass in my life, but I need to find something that can out compete bahia grass or diversive and make a compact lawn area so they suffercate out if that's even possible

I think I do have bermuda grass mixed in the lawn too, I'm unsure what it looks like but if this is it then I have to deal with this too 

Edited June 4, 2022 by ZPalms

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

Sometimes it gets deep, but most of the time I can just pull it up and it just comes up, but sometimes it feels like some get really deep and recently it's been creeping into the cracks of my sabal bed stones. I want to sprinkle clover or something softer that doesn't make the yard look abandoned after 5 days because bahia grass grows way too fast for its own good. I've got nothing but time for the area and I can't even imagine if there are any worms in the sandy dry soil.

I also live near a forest, so any and every plant that decides it's ready to show up in the area I want is most likely going too

I'm really going to have to study around for grass types since I've never dealt with grass in my life, but I need to find something that can out compete bahia grass or diversive and make a compact lawn area so they suffercate out if that's even possible

If you were anywhere in the west ..well, say Texas/ the Plains,  Buffalo Grass would be a good lawn alternative, though i'm not sure it could completely out compete Bahia..  If it will even grow there. 

Appears it might.. Here's an article on it from the North Carolina AG. Extension: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/bouteloua-dactyloides/

Don't confuse it w/ what some people call " Buffalo Grass " ( Actually St. Augustine > Also horrible stuff < ) https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/stenotaphrum-secundatum/

Clover can work, but not sure how long it takes to really start filling out, ..so you'll have to add more seed in other areas over time. Will be battling Bahia / other stuff until it grows thick enough to crowd it out.  You might research some native ..but not overly aggressive.. ground covers. Can also add in stuff like Rain lilies ( Genus Zephyranthes ) and give a " lawn " area a more meadow / natural look ..where you might only have to cut it a few times a year. 

Can only imagine how fast Bahia grows there.. Remember it was extremely fast in Florida. Bermuda is bad enough, esp. during our Monsoon season. If i don't cut / pull it ( ..from where it invades planting beds ) weekly, it is approaching 2ft in height (  w / the flowers / seed heads ) within 8-10 days.  As i experienced, it can sit ..essentially dead for over a year, until it starts getting water.. Then returns w/ a vengeance.

 

[ZPalms]

38 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

If you were anywhere in the west ..well, say Texas/ the Plains,  Buffalo Grass would be a good lawn alternative, though i'm not sure it could completely out compete Bahia..  If it will even grow there. 

Appears it might.. Here's an article on it from the North Carolina AG. Extension: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/bouteloua-dactyloides/

Don't confuse it w/ what some people call " Buffalo Grass " ( Actually St. Augustine > Also horrible stuff < ) https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/stenotaphrum-secundatum/

Clover can work, but not sure how long it takes to really start filling out, ..so you'll have to add more seed in other areas over time. Will be battling Bahia / other stuff until it grows thick enough to crowd it out.  You might research some native ..but not overly aggressive.. ground covers. Can also add in stuff like Rain lilies ( Genus Zephyranthes ) and give a " lawn " area a more meadow / natural look ..where you might only have to cut it a few times a year. 

Can only imagine how fast Bahia grows there.. Remember it was extremely fast in Florida. Bermuda is bad enough, esp. during our Monsoon season. If i don't cut / pull it ( ..from where it invades planting beds ) weekly, it is approaching 2ft in height (  w / the flowers / seed heads ) within 8-10 days.  As i experienced, it can sit ..essentially dead for over a year, until it starts getting water.. Then returns w/ a vengeance.

 

I just did a bit of research and buffalo grass seems like a pretty good grass. I really like that it doesn't have very tall stringy bits that come up, which is very cool, and I could probably mix in clover and stuff because I want to make sure I'm mixing in species that don't get too long and have to mow often. What I might do is do a test area and really take care and focus on that area and see how well it works in my yard because I don't ever see or hear people planting buffulo grass, so I'm unsure if it's just an underrated grass here or if they just do poorly.

St. Augustine runners are already present in my yard and I pull them up along with bahiagrass because I thought they were the same thing.  Luckily, it's not as established as bahia grass, but it's still annoying how well it runs in pure sand.

BahiaGrass here I swear it takes about 2 days for the chicken feet to sprout up and it's already ready to sprinkle seed and I intend to win the war on them in the area that I'm in the most. 

Edited June 4, 2022 by ZPalms

[D Palm]

The best way to deal with foreign grasses, is to establish your current grass.  I have Bahia in my Florida yard and love it due to much lower irrigation needs.  However, as you point out the day after a mow it begins to sprout seeds again.

Start by trying to make your selected grass type thrive.  Apply the appropriate weed & feed (HD brand is best for my bahia to thrive). 

Mow at the preferred height for your desired grass.  This is how I help suppress torpedo grass, Crab grass, Bermuda, Centipede, St. Augustine, etc.

You can mow Bahia to the ground, but it will not die.  Pre-emergent helps tremendously with foreign grasses too.  I still have to dig up up patches or weedy grass or spray with a non-selective weed & grass from time to time.  The battle never ends.