[Arid_gardener] Switching from a grass lawn to desert.

[Dick Gross]

In the Subtroical Demonstration Garden at the Extension planted in what had been a thirty year old Bermuda/wire-develgrass lawn, we excavated the top 4 inches of sod in tiles, sifted every square inch through half inch screen to separate soil and micro-organisms from stolens that we dumped. We ridded the area of about 90% of the stolens and dealt with an ocassional blade of grass with a trowel for a year after. The area has been grass free for five years with virtually no maintenance. The sifting was a little labor intensive but much faster and we saved every ounce of rich loam it grew in. Roundup is not as efficient in my experience and mechanical removal satisfied the whims of some of the environmentalists, none of whom offered to wield a shovel to preserve an ecology long since compromised. 

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
University of Arizona Maricopa County
Cooperative Extension

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: <andymont at cox.net>
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 11:58 AM
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page


> Andy
> 85028
> andymont at cox.net
> 
>  Need somethng to kill the grass roots that may try to grow after we put down the cover.  Something good but not too expensive. 
> 
> 
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> Arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
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